The New Way
by Charlotte1
Summary: All the old favourites in the spirit world. Eternel bliss? Not quite. Please r
1. The way we were

Title: The New Way  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of this except for my original characters  
  
Summary: As Luke sets up the new Jedi Order time in the spirit world drags by, and Mayco and Tio watch in disgust as the new Jedi Order is established completely different to the way they once lived. It seems that they aren't the only ones concerned about this; the High Council of the Jedi in the spirit world also seem worried, but for more reasons than just tradition. Meanwhile, while looking for answers Mayco and Tio stumble across a gigantic secret being held from everyone by Yoda and Qui-Gon, one that may shed light on why the Skywalkers' are so powerful.  
  
A/N - SPOILERS TO 'THE LOST SKYWALKER' and just to give you a little hand if you haven't read it: Mayco is the AU daughter of Anakin and Padme, who was raised at the temple oblivious to her parentage, but she finds out who she is and the importance she holds for the Jedi future – she dies in an epic battle against Count Dooku and Darth Sidious. Tio was her best friend and roommate in the temple; more like a sister than a best friend she accompanies Mayco to her final battle and was killed shortly before Mayco was.  
  
A/N – Oh and just because I had a nightmare last night about this in which I lost out on millions, the concepts of Aracaid and Heliad and all the rules I have invented to govern them, are my invention. I own them and are not to be used without my permission.  
  
The New Way  
  
The way we were  
  
"You do know it's like midday!" an amused voice cut through Mayco's dream. She rolled over in her bed and covered her head with a pillow.  
  
"Go away," she groaned, trying to get away from her best friend, but Tio didn't care about Mayco's exhaustion. She started jumping on the bed until finally Mayco rolled over onto her back and heaved her weight onto her elbows. "Why are you bothering me?" she groaned as she struggled to open her lazy eyes. Tio grinned cheekily at her.  
  
"I was bored!" she said cheerfully. Mayco glared at her.  
  
"There are millions of people out there! Most of them don't know you either, so you could hang out with them before they get a chance to run away from you!" she grumbled. Tio smiled more.  
  
"Yeah, but waking you up lately is so fun! What's with all the sleeping?" Tio asked frowning. Mayco had always been a morning person and would get up early and play with Tio till darkness had fallen and they were dragged in by the adults for dinner, but lately Mayco had been getting up very late even though she would lock herself up in her room just after dinner each night.  
  
"Just tired," Mayco lied. Tio sensed the lie even before Mayco opened her mouth. She glared at her best friend and reached out and gently punched Mayco's arm.  
  
"Dude you can't lie to me!" Tio complained. "I mean you were always crap at it, but especially here!" Mayco rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
  
The spirit world was a very odd place to Mayco. It was as if it were a parallel universe to the material world. The Force was magnified a hundred times here; it was as if everything in the spirit world was fuelled by the Force. It meant that everyone's abilities here were magnified too. What had come as a shock to the children was that even though they couldn't get hurt here, their physical bodies were real (they had believed them to be figments of their imagination, just like everything else in this world), so they had to eat, they had to sleep and they could even get sick! They could change their appearance at will, and age however they pleased, but their physical abilities and even their magnified abilities with the force still reflected how talented they had been in the material world.  
  
Tio had become very powerful here, but Mayco was just incredible!  
  
"Tio I don't really want to talk about it, I've been asleep for like two hours, just let me sleep okay?" Mayco grumbled. Tio raised her eyebrows.  
  
" May you're just being weird okay? Weird weird weird!" she said indignantly and she climbed off Mayco's bed and walked over to the closed curtains. She threw them open and opened the balcony doors. " And no you can't sleep, for starters they're having like some strange reunion out there and we're not invited so I need your help to spy on them and secondly, just, I'm bored okay?" Mayco grumbled, but she rolled off her bed and headed to her bathroom anyway. Moments later she had joined Tio by her balcony doors dressed in baggy beige linen trousers, a white tank top and some sandals; the girls' attire had changed dramatically since they came to this world. The Jedi Masters still dressed in their robes, but all the youngsters and even Anakin dressed more casually.  
  
"Okay what's going on? I'm all ears," Mayco mumbled as she stood rubbing her eyes tiredly. Tio was standing on her tiptoes peeking over the edge of the balcony, which was difficult from their vantage point.  
  
"I don't know, I mean it's not like there's anything major going on here that needs to be kept a secret!" she complained. Mayco sighed and shook her head thinking the exact opposite; even in this place secrets were being kept left right and centre, mostly by herself.  
  
"Well who's down there I can't really see?" Mayco asked joining in with Tio on her tiptoes, but she was shorter and couldn't see a single thing. So she took a step forward, but Tio grabbed her arm and tried to hold her back.  
  
"Hey, hey what are you doing?" Tio whispered harshly, but Mayco pulled her hand free.  
  
"Chill, I have a plan," she said calmly and she stepped over to the balcony and looked down onto the terrace. Gathered around the table were all the old members of the council and dozens and dozens of other former Jedi council members that Mayco and Tio had met since being here. Anakin, Obi-wan and Qui-Gon were also gathered and all of Mayco's prestigious Mentors from the material world too had gathered. It was a formidable looking group. A quick glance around revealed that her mother and grandmother were on the beach with a group of very young children – the infants from the temple who regularly came to the retreat to see Padme and Shmi, who cared for them when they needed it.  
  
As she looked down, all of the people below looked up at her.  
  
"Afternoon," Anakin called up to her. "Uh Mayco, you're going to have to Keep away from the terrace this afternoon okay sweetheart?"  
  
"Yeah sure," she called back and she moved away to see Tio standing by her door with her arms crossed and a highly bemused look on her face. Mayco pushed past her and closed the doors.  
  
"May!" Tio protested and she stormed over to the day lounger and sat down grumpily. "Your balcony was the best bet to listening in!" Mayco smiled, finally beginning to cheer up a little.  
  
"Tio you can't seriously believe that they wouldn't sense us up here on this balcony?" she asked smiling. Tio rolled her eyes and then grinned sneakily.  
  
"No," she agreed. "So what's the plan May, you have to think as I do, that it is so totally unfair that we're not being included in that down there?" Mayco smiled back at her.  
  
"Naturally, come on, I have an idea," she said and she led Tio out of her room and into one of the many corridors of this giant beautiful retreat. She led Tio silently to what must have been the other side of the room. Finally she reached the room she wanted and she led Tio into a giant double room.  
  
"You know, as great as this tour of the house is, I'm not really getting how this helps us," Tio said sarcastically. Mayco ignored this comment and led her onto the huge balcony that overlooked the beautiful gardens at the other side of the house to the lake. "What are we doing here?" Tio asked.  
  
"You do know you can climb onto the roof from here right?" Mayco asked frowning. Tio thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.  
  
"No not really, but great plan!" With this they climbed onto the railing and then jumped to catch the gutter. They heaved themselves up onto the terracotta tiles and started climbing. To reach the highest level of the roof they had to climb up a very long drainpipe, but soon they were on the roof looking down distantly at the Jedi assembled there. Luckily for them the slightly enclosing walls of the lower levels round the terrace created an echoing carrying affect on their voices, so they could hear what they were saying.  
  
After a few moments they had gathered that they were talking about Luke Skywalker and the new Jedi Order, their tones were ones of dismay and Mayco got the distinct impression that they were very much disappointed with what was going on in the material world.  
  
Mayco herself was deeply distressed with what was happening to the Jedi in the material world. Time was passing so slowly in the material world that even though a mere thirty or so years had passed since the defeat of the Sith, it had taken nearly two thousand years for this time to pass in the spirit world – over this huge amount of time Mayco had now refined her skills of visiting the material world on her own, without the need for a master to guide her. She spent a lot of time watching what went on in the material world and she was very upset with how the Order was going. She didn't like the new ways, she didn't like them one bit.  
  
Mayco was listening intently as they discussed Luke's new council when all of a sudden she was lifted to her feet from behind. Judging by the startled cry from beside her, Tio too was hanging in the air by and invisible hand.  
  
"Think they spotted us?" Mayco asked unable to hide the amusement in her tone.  
  
"You think?" Tio laughed and the pair were lifted down the side of the house to the terrace and placed next to the table, surrounded by these great Jedi spirits.  
  
"Hey," Mayco said waving cheerfully, and Tio managed to wave too.  
  
"What were you doing up there?" Master Windu asked sounding amused. Mayco looked up to the roof where they had just been perched.  
  
"Up there? Uh, we were just doing you guys a favour, there is so much rot up there, we thought we'd clear it out!" she said grinning.  
  
"Oh really? We have a lot of rot?" Obi-wan asked frowning. " Well maybe later, you two would be so kind as to actually clean all that out," he said in a warning tone. The girls lost their amused expressions and sighed deeply before trudging off down the gravel path that led down to the beach by the lake, their heads hanging miserably with their punishment.  
  
"Why do they need to have a huge meeting to talk about Luke and his stupid Order anyway?" Mayco asked sulkily and she kicked at random pieces of beach junk as they walked.  
  
"Tell me about it," Tio grumbled.  
  
"I mean I go there like everyday and there's nothing major going on right now, everything's running smoothly," she complained and then added thoughtfully. "Even though it all sucks big time!"  
  
The pair walked on, watching Padme and Shmi out on the lake in little boats with the tiny children, when all of a sudden they tripped over something. They quickly clambered to their feet as the bush on the beach edge erupted with giggles. Mayco and Tio angrily stormed over to it and pushed it aside to find two small girls laughing.  
  
"What did you guys do?" Mayco asked them angrily. The girls lost their smiles for a moment and pointed out to the beach. Mayco and Tio turned round and saw they were lifting a rope out of the sand and holding it taught using the force.  
  
"Very funny! You do know who were are right?" Tio demanded irritably. Mayco then held out her hand and stopped her.  
  
"Dude wait, I recognise these guys," she said thoughtfully. Tio raised her eyebrows.  
  
"So? I recognise half the kids we meet around here from the temple, what's your point?" she demanded, but Mayco shook her head.  
  
"No I mean from the material world, from my visits to Luke's sucky academy," she countered. Tio frowned and scratched the side of her head in thought.  
  
"You sure?" she asked after a while. Mayco rolled her eyes and pushed Tio aside before crouching down in front of the small girls.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" she asked them in what she hoped was a kind tone. The little girls looked to each other and then finally the more confident looking one cleared her throat firmly.  
  
"We're on a trip," she said boldly. Mayco smiled and nodded.  
  
"Really? That's nice! What's your name?" she asked.  
  
"Laika," the bold little girl said and then she pointed to her friend. " That's Ari!" Mayco grinned at them and nodded to them.  
  
"It's nice to meet you Laika and Ari, I'm Mayco, and this is my best friend Tio," she said. Tio nodded to them coolly. "So what sort of trip was it?"  
  
"A training trip, we were supposed top find crystals to make our lightsabers," Laika explained proudly.  
  
"Even though we're only six!" Ari added proudly. Mayco smiled and nodded, restraining from bursting out that she too had only been six and that it was quite common to make one anywhere between the age of six and thirteen, but seeing their beaming faces, she just couldn't tell them.  
  
"So you're supposed to be on Ilum?" Tio asked gruffly. The two girls frowned and stood up, feeling intimidated by Tio's height.  
  
"We are on Ilum aren't we?" Laika asked worriedly. Mayco stood up too and she frowned incredulously.  
  
"Does it look like you're on Ilum? Do you see any ice caves?" she asked them sounding patronising. She instantly regretted it, because the pair of small children looked like they wanted to cry. "Tell me what happened? How did you end up by this lake?" she asked them quickly, hoping they weren't going to cry, she couldn't handle crying infants as she had discovered one day when she tried to help Padme and Shmi with the infants.  
  
"We were with the rest of the group and we went into the grotto together, and we had to go first, and we went it and then all of a sudden we heard a strange noise and then we were here," Laika explained frowning. " Is this all part of the grotto? Because Master Skywalker said we were supposed to see strange things in here!" Tio shot Mayco and alarmed look.  
  
"May, what does this mean?" Tio asked sounding confused and slightly alarmed. "Dead kids coming out of the Ilum grotto, council Jedi acting crazy...what's going on?"  
  
"I don't know, we have to warn them though!" she said determinedly. Then she looked down at the frightened children. "You guys wanna race us? Show us how good you are?" she asked them. They nodded eagerly and Mayco smiled. "Great, you see that big house up the beach, race you to that!" she said cheerfully and the two girls shot off at lightening speed. Mayco and Tio followed and soon they were leading the small girls up to the terrace where everyone had stopped and were staring at them.  
  
"What did we tell you two about..." Master Windu began impatiently, but Mayco shook her head.  
  
"No time, these two just came from the material world, they went into the grotto and died! Luke sent them in there, there's something strange going on, we found them up the beach," she said. The council members turned on each other in surprise.  
  
"Thank you for bringing them to us, now take them away," Qui-Gon said firmly. Mayco gave him a pleading look, but she nodded and led the children down to the beach, while the large gathered group burst into discussion again. Laika and Ari were looking terrified now.  
  
"What dead children were you talking about?" Laika asked sounding scared, as if she knew the horrible truth already. Mayco sighed deeply and looked to Tio for answers, but she just hung her head gravely.  
  
"Guys there's no easy way of saying this, but, well," Mayco began uneasily; she really wasn't good with little children.  
  
"It's us isn't it?" Ari asked dejectedly. Mayco sighed and nodded.  
  
"Welcome to the spirit world where everything is perfect bla bla bla," she said tiredly. Laika turned away with tears streaming down her face, but Ari stopped and stood in front of Mayco.  
  
"How long have you been here?" she asked seriously.  
  
"Uh, well in your time, thirty years, but the thing is time moves differently here. Sometimes it goes very fast and a day here can be like a lifetime in the real world, and sometimes it can go very slowly, and a year to the real world can seem like a lifetime here. So even though I've only been dead thirty years, I've actually been here two thousand years," she explained gravely. Ari gasped.  
  
"Wow! How did you die?" she asked in amazement. Mayco smiled at her complete lack of tears, this she liked.  
  
"I died in battle, I fought Count Dooku and Darth Sidious during the clone wars and I killed Count Dooku, but Darth Sidious killed me," she said proudly. The little girl gasped.  
  
" The Emperor? You fought the emperor?" Ari mumbled. Mayco frowned uneasily, the who?  
  
"Uh yeah," she said and then unable to help herself from bragging she carried on. "My full name is Mayco Naberrie Skywalker," she began.  
  
"Are you related to Master Skywalker?" Ari interrupted eagerly.  
  
"Yeah he's my little brother," Mayco replied proudly. " But he doesn't know about me, our father Anakin turned to the dark side after I died and became Darth Vader. He had to be hidden from him and so never knew about my mother and me," she explained sadly.  
  
"But master Skywalker said he was tricked to the dark side by the Emperor, he told us all about his father in our classes," Ari countered frowning. Now it was Mayco's turn to look confused. Tricked?  
  
"I guess that's because no one ever witnessed what really happened, they can only speculate," she said grimly. "But anyway, you know back there with all those Masters, did you notice the young guy sitting on the wall?" Ari nodded. "Well that was him!"  
  
"I can't believe I just stood by Darth Vader!" Ari said grinning broadly. Mayco cleared her throat edgily. "Sorry, by the ex-Darth Vader."  
  
"Ari shut up!" Laika suddenly cried and she dropped to her knees in sobs. Ari gave Mayco a sorrowful look and Mayco saw tears building in her eyes too. She had to think fast and she looked out to the lake to see the small boats approaching.  
  
"Tio hold the fort for just two seconds!" Mayco said and she ran out to the shore edge and used the Force to pull the boats in very fast. The children on board giggled happily, but soon the boats were on land and Padme and Shmi were climbing out frowning curiously from Mayco to the two crying girls with Tio.  
  
"New arrivals," Mayco said grimacing. "Help?" she pleaded and she grabbed each of their hands and dragged them over to the crying children. Once they had reached them Padme and Shmi crouched down with the young girls and smoothed their hair.  
  
"It's hard, we know," Shmi said softly.  
  
"Who are you?" Laika spat angrily between her sobs.  
  
"Hey this is my mom and grandmother! Don't speak like that to them!" Mayco hissed protectively.  
  
"Mayco," Shmi warned.  
  
"But nonny she," Mayco began, but her grandmother's stare silenced her and she took a step back and watched them calm the girls. Tio walked over to her and motioned for her to walk with her. Once they'd moved out of hearing range Tio turned back on her friend.  
  
"It's the Sith, they're back," she said softly. Mayco frowned and raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Yeah so even if they are, big deal," she said in a blasé tone. Tio smiled and shook her head.  
  
"No it's not that, they're here!"  
  
Thank you for reading, and advice on stuff that's just plain silly will be more than welcome! 


	2. Excuses

The New Way  
  
Excuses  
  
" Uh Tio, have you been out in the sun too long?" Mayco asked sounding concerned and she reached out and felt her friend's temperature. Tio scrunched up her face in amusement and pulled away.  
  
" No you idiot!" she laughed.  
  
" Well then what is wrong with you you freak?" Mayco countered also sounding amused. " Sith don't come here, it is as simple as that!" she said firmly.  
  
" Why don't they?" Tio asked simply placing her hand on her hip and trying to intimidate her shorter friend. That never worked, so after a moment's furious glaring on Mayco's part, Tio dropped her arm quickly. Mayco hated the fact that Tio had died taller and considered ageing a little to look down on Tio for a while, but she was scared to change.  
  
They had only tried it once without guidance and had consequently aged themselves into two little old women. After a whole afternoon of making their way back to the house with their frail old bodies they finally returned to normal when the masters had calmed them enough to focus. Ever since, they had stayed put as they were.  
  
" Because the masters said so," Mayco replied boldly.  
  
" Yeah but they never explained why Sith can't come here!" Tio said proudly. Mayco glared at her, since when had Tio turned into such a know-it- all?  
  
" Are you going to tell me what is going on in your tiny little brain or not?" she asked irritably. Tio grinned even broader, gleeful that for the first time ever she knew something Mayco didn't and it was killing Mayco, but the truth was she was desperate to share her information because it scared her a little.  
  
" Well when you told the masters about the kids I was watching Anakin and trying to read what he was thinking, which is always impossible because let's face it, he's Anakin, but just before we were sent away again I picked up something, he didn't want us to wander far because the Sith are very close and that somehow it's all because of your brother!" Tio explained. Mayco gave Tio a calculating look as she thought things over in her head.  
  
" Well that can't be good," she finally said grimly. " But even if they are here, what's the worst that can happen? We can't die again can we?" she asked worriedly. Tio shrugged her shoulders.  
  
" Maybe, I don't know! If Sith are coming through into the spirit world, then surely anything's possible?" she said in a small voice. " Should we tell them we know?"  
  
" No," Mayco said shaking her head firmly. " No we wait it out, see if we can dig a little deeper, this evening we'll visit the material world and see if time has moved enough for them to have noticed the kids are missing, then we can see what they make of it all!"  
  
The two girls then started heading up to the retreat, seeing that Padme and Shmi were taking the little girls away with the rest of the infants.  
  
" Shouldn't we try and warn them in the material world?" Tio asked gravely. " I mean what if Luke sends like a whole class full of kids in there and they all get killed by.whatever's in there! And what could possibly be hiding in the grotto anyway?"  
  
" I don't know Tio, I just don't," Mayco replied sighing.  
  
Over the two thousand years that the pair had been stuck here they had changed very little. Sure they were wiser and had an infinitely broader knowledge of the living force, but they were still very young and this uncertainty and the lack of information was unnerving Mayco. It had been a very very long time since the pair had been kept in the dark about something and as a consequence the girls weren't used to it. Not knowing everything that was happening scared them a little bit.  
  
After a while Tio spoke again.  
  
" Hey what did you see in the grotto? You never told me!" she asked curiously. Mayco closed her eyes slowly, willing the dreadful images in her head to go away.  
  
" I don't want to talk about it," she said after a while. Tio knew enough not to pressure Mayco, ever since they were Laika and Ari's age Tio had been desperate to find out what had happened to Mayco to make her so scared to talk about it, but she realised they had an eternity here and that eventually Mayco would spill the beans. Tio could wait.  
  
They walked on in silence until finally they reached the terrace, several of the masters had gone now and the rest of them were lazing around chatting amiably. Guessing the meeting was now over Mayco and Tio sat down in the cool kitchen to relax out of the sun. Soon enough they were joined by Anakin and Obi-wan.  
  
" So before we picked you two off the roof, what had you been up to?" Obi- wan asked them kindly sitting down with them at the large table.  
  
" Not much, I had only just woken Mayco up!" Tio complained good-naturedly.  
  
" Again?" Anakin asked incredulously casting Mayco a suspicious look. He didn't like it that his daughter was acting so strangely and not telling anybody why. Mayco sensed his feelings and she smiled broadly at him.  
  
" It's nothing," she said cheerfully and she got up to make herself a very late lunch.  
  
" I walked past your room at four-o clock this morning and your light was still on!" Anakin exclaimed accusingly. Mayco grinned.  
  
" Oh so you just happened to be passing at four-o clock in the morning?" she asked smiling. Anakin shrugged and shook his head.  
  
" Well that's neither here nor there," he said quickly. " Look you can't keep this a secret forever you know," he said grinning at her. Mayco raised her eyebrows.  
  
" Oh really? Does that count for you guys too?" she asked curiously. Obi- wan burst out laughing and shook his head.  
  
" No Mayco, absolutely not!" he said firmly. Mayco gave Tio an exasperated look, but soon she was back with an assortment of sandwiches containing gruesome concoctions that made the two grown men cringe, but Mayco and Tio tucked in greedily.  
  
" You know, you two really should have learned to appreciate the finer delicacies the spirit world has to offer by now," Obi-wan said thoughtfully. The two children didn't stop eating, but shrugged their shoulders in unison. " I mean two thousand years is a long time to spend eating those strange," he began, but seeing the happy smiles on their faces he dropped it.  
  
'Those two will never change' he thought to himself fondly. During the course of their lifetimes, as he had once told Mayco, he felt an extreme sense of paternal love for these children, but having now spent two millennia with the girls, it had grown into something so much more profound. Even though he was safe in the knowledge that no real harm could come to these children here, he still feared for them awfully when they did the disappearing act every now and then to go exploring.  
  
" I guess you guys are going to be doing that roof rot soon?" Anakin asked. The girls stopped chewing on their sandwiches and glared at him.  
  
" I was thinking we'd leave it for another.like ten years maybe," Mayco said in a blasé tone, waving her sandwich around casually, spraying the table with a mustard like substance - no one knew exactly what their special sandwich ingredients were, except for the fact that whatever they dreamed up, no matter how grotesque the mixture of flavours was, it would appear in their 'sandwich' cupboard moments later.  
  
" Yeah it's been there like two thousand years or more, so it's not like it's going anywhere," Tio added shrugging her shoulders.  
  
" Yeah I think that was their point man," she said with a smirk on her face. " But seriously," she said turning on the men. " We'll do it sometime," she said grimacing at the thought.  
  
" Sometime today?" Anakin asked in a fond warning tone. Mayco sighed exasperatedly, but nodded all the same.  
  
" May!" Tio complained. " We have enough to be getting on with for one day!" Mayco rolled her eyes and grinned.  
  
" What could you two possibly have to do today?" Obi-wan asked with a bemused look on his face; he could sense trouble brewing.  
  
" First we're going to see Breiyd and Kara and the rest of those guys at their new house, they finished it the other day and we wanna see it!" Mayco explained.  
  
" Then we're going to go see my brothers," Tio added - during their time here Mayco wasn't the only one who had found relatives, Tio had discovered that she had two brothers and a sister, parents and several aunts, uncles and cousins around somewhere, but so far the brothers were the only ones she had found.  
  
" And then they're taking us podracing," Mayco carried on.  
  
" Then we're going to the material world," Tio finished.  
  
" Well I'm sorry, but somewhere in your busy schedule you're going to have to do the roof!" Obi-wan said firmly. Mayco and Tio sighed, but couldn't see the point in arguing.  
  
" Well maybe we can see Lorn and Mickel tomorrow," Mayco suggested, but Tio's jaw dropped and she shook her head firmly.  
  
" No! We can go see Kara and those guys tomorrow! I haven't seen my brothers in ages!" she complained.  
  
" Yeah, but they're having a party!" Mayco countered pronouncing the word 'party' as if it were some fabulous new invention.  
  
" Wait their having a party? And we weren't invited?" Anakin asked incredulously. Mayco and Tio cringed and turned to look at him slowly.  
  
" Well," Tio began slowly, trying desperately to think of a way out of this without hurting Anakin's feelings.  
  
" Yeah," Mayco added after a while. Anakin looked at them tiredly as if to say 'why not?'. " Well it's just, you're a grown up!"  
  
" Yeah so are half of them!" he complained.  
  
" Well only the way they look, inside they're still kids!" Mayco countered quickly. Obi-wan cleared his throat and shook his head.  
  
" Mayco you know very well that once you start to take on the form of a different age you start thinking like someone of that age after a while," he said pointedly. This was true, the process wasn't irreversible, an adult could change into a child and then after a while would start thinking like a child, or vice versa, it didn't make a difference.  
  
" Well yeah, but, oh look I don't know why you guys weren't invited. Maybe they thought you'd be kinda strict," Mayco suggested delicately. Anakin glared at her, but Obi-wan raised his eyebrows in a hurt expression.  
  
" Strict? Why on earth would we be strict?"  
  
" Well because you're knights, and none of us are. We all died as padawans and initiates," Tio said in what she hoped was a tactful tone of voice.  
  
" Oh this is ridiculous," Obi-wan finally said and he got to his feet. " Go to your party, but be back before mid afternoon so you can fix that roof!" With this he walked out into the garden.  
  
" But I'm really not strict!" Anakin said after a while. Mayco and Tio grinned at him and shrugged.  
  
" You're still a knight though, and you get to do cool stuff we don't, so I think it's fair!" Mayco said cheerfully.  
  
" Yeah well you would," Anakin said fondly and he too got to his feet and walked out leaving the girls on their own.  
  
" Party?" Tio asked sounding amused.  
  
" Yeah well I had to say something didn't I!" Mayco complained. " Now come on, let's go, we haven't got long before they find out that there really isn't a party!" The two girls got to their feet and instead of heading out into the garden; they walked through the large house until they reached the garage.  
  
" So why did we have to make up an excuse anyway? Where are we going?" Tio asked frowning as they climbed on their swoop bikes.  
  
" To see Yoda," Mayco said firmly and she kicked open the garage door and walked her bike out onto the dusty drive.  
  
" But we don't know where Yoda lives!" Tio complained.  
  
" Let the Force guide you, who is the one person we can always sense? Yoda!" Mayco said determinedly. " Even back in the material world the force always guided us to Yoda. If we can't find him here, then there's something really wrong!" Tio nodded vaguely and with this the two set off speeding up the lane. 


	3. The lady of Aracaid Lake

The New Way  
  
The lady of Aracaid Lake  
  
" Maybe we should be looking for a sign or something?" Tio suggested angrily. They had been riding round in circles for about an hour, it was as if the Force itself was playing a joke on them.  
  
" Do you honestly believe that Yoda is going to put up signs saying 'yes little lost children, this is where you can find me'?" Mayco countered sharply.  
  
" No, if Yoda were putting up signs they'd say 'little lost children yes, where you can find me this is'," Tio said smirking. Mayco sighed exasperatedly and braked hard, coming to a stop on the dusty little road.  
  
" Maybe it's because we came to the places we know, we're not being clever so the Force is punishing us," she said frowning. Tio backtracked until she was standing beside her friend; Mayco's sudden stop had meant she had carried on up the lane.  
  
" Okay so none of that made sense, try again," she said in a cocky tone. Mayco punched her on the arm and shook her head.  
  
" You're turning into me man, it's not good! You have to discover who you are, let that inner Tio flourish," she said in an airy 'Anis' tone.  
  
Anis, the moist irritating girl from their set had also 'unfortunately' died in the Jedi purge and was even more unfortunately now in the spirit world. She had decided to age to a young woman in her twenties and was even more insufferable now, believing herself to be so much better and wiser than the girls.  
  
" I'll let my inner Tio flourish if you squelch your inner Anis into a messy pulp!" Tio countered. Mayco beamed at her friend and shrugged.  
  
" Deal," she said and then she looked around herself frowning. " Anyway, what I was saying was, we're not being so smart. I mean, we know where all these roads go, we know about all the houses and retreats in this area. It's obvious he's not here; we have to go in a completely new direction, only then will the force guide us to him!" Tio frowned and nodded.  
  
" Yeah I guess, but, like where? As you said, we know everything!"  
  
" Okay we'll take that road out past Master Windu's retreat, we've never been along there!" Mayco said firmly.  
  
" What if he sees us?"  
  
" He won't, he's back at our place!" Mayco replied and she kicked her bike into action.  
  
* * *  
  
" What are you girls doing here?"  
  
Mayco and Tio screeched to a halt and looked cautiously over their shoulders. Standing on the terrace at the retreat was its owner looking totally startled to see them.  
  
" Mayco!" Tio hissed accusingly. Mayco shrugged her shoulders innocently and she climbed off the swoopbike and stood beside it her head held high in what she hoped was a confidant look.  
  
" We've been sent to find something," she said firmly.  
  
" Find what?" Master Windu asked curiously, knowing right away that she was lying.  
  
" That's a secret," Tio said equally as firmly.  
  
" Well who sent you?" Mace asked smiling.  
  
" My mom."  
  
" Shmi."  
  
The girls looked at each other in surprise, but soon they were glaring at each other.  
  
" Both of them," Mayco then said turning back on Master Windu. Realising that they couldn't be up to no good and that they'd carry on with what they were doing anyway, Mace smiled and held his arm out.  
  
" Well don't mind me, go on then," he said and the girls jumped back on their swoop bikes and sped up the lane.  
  
Mace smiled to himself and jumped over his terrace wall onto the lane, heading in the opposite direction to the girls.  
  
" You do know he's going to tell the others right?" Tio asked once they'd got far enough away that they could slow down again. Mayco sighed and nodded.  
  
" Yeah, well what are they going to do? I mean sure we lied.a lot, but now we're not doing anything wrong are we? We're trying to find Yoda so he can clear up some questions we have!" She sounded more sincere than she looked.  
  
Mayco trailed off and the pair rode on in silence feeling the force guiding them to what they both assumed and hoped was Yoda.  
  
" So you sure this is leading us to Yoda and not to, say, God forbid, Anis?" Tio asked after a while.  
  
" Anis doesn't have a home that I know of, no one will let her settle near them," Mayco said grimly. " And how the hell should I know where this is leading us?"  
  
" You know you're awful cranky today," Tio said happily. Mayco glared at her.  
  
" That's because somebody got me up after I'd only been asleep for two hours!" she complained. " Would you be happy?"  
  
" No, but I'm a normal person! I sleep at night, when you're supposed to sleep! I don't keep huge big secrets from my nearest and dearest!" Tio retorted sounding slightly offended.  
  
" Look Tio, I'll tell you when I'm done. Trust me, it's much easier if I do this on my own first!" Mayco said in what she hoped was a compassionate tone. " Seriously, eventually you'll be happy for it!"  
  
" Well can't you give me just one little hint, I mean."  
  
Both girls stopped suddenly and looked to each other eagerly.  
  
" So you felt it too?" Mayco asked happily.  
  
" Oh yeah! He's around here somewhere!" Tio replied as the pair of them rushed to hide their swoop bikes in the thick bushes that lined one side of the lane.  
  
" Hey can you see the water?" Mayco asked frowning as they hid the bikes. Tio looked where Mayco was pointing and nodded enthusiastically. They pushed through the bushes until they reached the small stream. The force was guiding them strongly towards the river.  
  
" Oh jeez May you didn't say we were going to get wet," Tio grumbled as they sat down on some boulders to roll up their trousers. Mayco rolled her eyes, but somehow managed to refrain from beating Tio over the head with the nearest piece of driftwood.  
  
" Look at it this way, at least we're wearing sandals right?" she said cheerfully. Tio however, didn't see any positive side, so they got up in silence and headed up the stream.  
  
The presence they could feel was growing stronger as they headed deeper and deeper into undergrowth and a swamp like environment. Before they knew it the girls found that their whole surroundings had turned into a swamp.  
  
Mayco and Tio had been living in the spirit world an astounding nine hundred or so years before they discovered a different terrain in the spirit world. They had always assumed that all of the spirit world was the same, but one time the accompanied Obi-wan and Anakin on a trip and to their amazement they had somehow passed into a desert-like terrain that Anakin swore was exactly like his homeworld.  
  
It was a good thing that the girls had witnessed the sudden changing of their surroundings before, or they would have been terrified by suddenly finding themselves on what could have been Degobah.  
  
" So Yoda's from the swamp, well that explains a lot," Mayco said thoughtfully. Tio grinned and they walked on in silence until finally they stumbled across a small hovel like building and suddenly right there they saw Yoda, meditating outside of his home. Mayco held her finger to her lips and they snuck slightly closer.  
  
Whether or not Yoda could sense them they didn't have time to find out, because all of a sudden someone else ran out of the gloom. Mayco and Tio ducked down even more and watched in fascination as Yoda jerked out of his meditation and looked up at the shrouded figure - Mayco sensed very strange..things coming from this woman, she felt somehow connected to her.  
  
" Master Yoda! There's been another one!" a panicking young woman's voice cried. Yoda hung his head.  
  
" I know," he said in a grave tone. " Sensed this I already have."  
  
" I never believed it was true what they were saying about what goes on out there, but I saw it for myself Master Yoda! I saw what happens to them! Those poor lost souls!" With this the woman broke down and fell to her knees. " This little girl came screaming out of the forest, she was terrified by something and she.she was fading away Master Yoda, she was fading away! Then just as she reached me, she disappeared, and it was the most horrible sound, the most horrible shrieking!"  
  
" Calm Leshia, calm you must be!" Yoda said in a soothing tone.  
  
" But Master! I can't stay out there anymore! I can't!" the girl cried. " On my count that's the thirty second lost soul! We have to tell people to stay clear of Aracaid Lake!"  
  
" Known only to myself and Qui-Gon your existence is," Yoda said in that soothing tone.  
  
" But how long am I going to have to wait before they know?" the girl asked sounding dejected.  
  
" Lonely you are," Yoda stated. The girl looked up at him and Mayco and Tio saw her head bob up and down in a dramatic nod.  
  
" I'll always be alone Master Yoda, that's my punishment for the evils I caused," she said soberly. Yoda shook his head.  
  
" The will of the force it was child," he said firmly.  
  
" No it was the will of Halem, amongst other things," she grumbled and she shook her head sadly. " I just don't get why I have to be hidden away out there? I mean there's nothing out there, there's no one out there and now there's creepy shadows moving through the woods taking cheap shots at anyone that walks by. Master Yoda it makes no sense for me to stay there!"  
  
" The location of Aracaid Lake a secret must remain," Master Yoda said and he just oozed power. The girl however, either wasn't smart enough to fear Yoda, or was of a completely different breed to most Jedi, one that Mayco and Anakin were proud to be part of.  
  
" Yes it must! But why you are forcing me to stay there when I could get.vanquished is beyond me? I know everything is my fault and I know that I brought evil upon the galaxy, but I should not have to die for that Master Yoda?" the girl said oozing as much, if not more, raw power than Yoda had.  
  
" Too strong are you, to be caught Leshia. Die you will not!" Yoda said. The girl looked away in the girls' directions and for a moment Mayco was sure that she looked directly at them. The girls could only see her eyes, as they were illuminated by a shaft of light; they were the most striking icy blue that Mayco had ever seen.  
  
The girl then looked back at Yoda, and Mayco sensed she was easing up a bit, her fear washing away.  
  
" Okay, I will go back to that forsaken Lake and watch the gate, but Master Yoda I have never seen it opened and already crazy stuff is happening! Can't wait to see what'll happen when the crud really hits the fan!" she said coldly and with this she turned on heal and disappeared back into the bushes.  
  
Mayco gave Tio an urgent look and they scrambled away as fast as their legs could take them. Soon enough they reached where they had left their swoop bikes and they sped all the way back to their retreat without uttering a word. Once they had parked their bikes they stepped into the hall, their minds already bursting with questions and theories and fears, but before they could even took three steps three people stood in front of them.  
  
" Okay, first what's up with the lying, secondly where have you been you're filthy, and thirdly." Anakin trailed off in thought. " Well thirdly I am very upset with you two!"  
  
Mayco gave Tio a sad look and she pushed past her father.  
  
" Uh where are you going?" Obi-wan demanded.  
  
" Look we have to talk about something major okay?" Mayco complained tiredly. " And we're very sorry, we will tell you guys where we were today and why we lied and everything, but we have to get it off our chests first okay?"  
  
" No you will tell us now!" Obi-wan said firmly.  
  
" Right now!" Anakin added dangerously. Mayco and Tio's bodies crumpled in defeat and they turned to the third person.  
  
" Maybe you should allow them some time to themselves," Qui-Gon said after a while. Obi-wan and Anakin turned to him questioningly. " They're visibly upset, and what's to say they won't lie to you again?" Obi-wan and Anakin then looked at each other and sighed.  
  
" Okay go, but in one hour, downstairs and you are telling us everything!" Obi-wan ordered. The girls grinned and ran up the stairs and didn't stop running till they could barricade themselves in Mayco's room. Once the door was locked and the windows all closed Mayco jumped on her bed and kicked off her dirty sandals whilst Tio sad down on the other end of the bed.  
  
" Okay oh my God what do we do?" Tio gasped. " Who was that woman and why is she in charge of what evil? Evil everywhere? And like, it's juts so much!"  
  
" I know Tio, I know and we can't tell them. It's a big secret between the three of them. She's not supposed to exist remember? We have to somehow get to Qui-Gon," Mayco said firmly. " He's our best bet for telling us about the lady from Aracaid Lake!"  
  
* * *  
  
Thanks for the reviews guys 


	4. Roof rot

The New Way  
  
Roof rot  
  
" Okay so what do we know about this girl?" Mayco said, leaning back on her mass of cushions and pillows. " We know she did something really bad, we know she's a complete secret to most people in the spirit world."  
  
" We know she's called Leshia and has scary eyes," Tio added.  
  
" Yeah and we know she's watching, or guarding some sort of gate at some secret lake where there's a shadow that everyone thinks is the Sith moving through the trees," Mayco said thoughtfully.  
  
" Is it a Sith though? I mean wouldn't she have said 'there's a Sith lurking through the trees', instead she said it was a shadow," Tio countered.  
  
" Okay, so there's a shadow at this secret lake thingy. What else do we know about her?"  
  
The two girls thought silently, each replaying the scenario in their heads over and over.  
  
" She's not afraid of Yoda," Tio suggested. Mayco looked up sharply.  
  
" Yeah and she was so powerful! Did you feel it coming off her? Just waves and waves of power!" she said quickly. Tio nodded grimly.  
  
" She's like you, and she's like Anakin. I get that off you two when you get emotional too!" she said softly. " Hey we also know that Yoda doesn't blame her for anything that happened. He said it was the will of the force."  
  
" Yeah, but we don't even know what she did. It must be pretty terrible though if she's being hidden away!"  
  
" Yeah, but if it was so terrible then why don't we know about it? I mean, come on, some girl named Leshia caused evil everywhere and we don't know about it?" Tio complained.  
  
" Unless it was way before our time," Mayco said thoughtfully. " Or her part in this great evil thing was never known about!"  
  
The girls lapsed into silence, both of them thinking of this mysterious girl and dreaming up horrific reasons for why she could be banished.  
  
" So what are we going to tell Obi-wan and Anakin?" Tio asked eventually.  
  
" Well we tell them the truth, kinda," Mayco said cheerfully and she got off her bed and looked through her wardrobe for some clean clothes that didn't smell of swamp. " We tell them we went looking for Yoda, but we couldn't find him! Or better yet, tell them that we found him, but he was busy.uh..meditating so we didn't want to bother him and we left again!"  
  
" And what if they ask why we were so desperate to talk?"  
  
" Well we tell them it's a secret. We can tell them something else happened, not to do with Yoda and it isn't really so we won't be lying! Don't worry, it'll all be okay!" Mayco said firmly and Tio managed a small smile.  
  
* * *  
  
" You have to remember gentlemen, that they don't have to tell you everything they do," Qui-Gon said softly.  
  
" But I'm Mayco's father, surely that means I have a right to know what she's doing?" Anakin said sulkily. Qui-Gon smiled slightly.  
  
" Would you feel the same if they had decided to age?" he asked gently. Obi- wan and Anakin shrugged.  
  
" Probably," he grumbled.  
  
" Yes you probably would, but you wouldn't say anything," Qui-Gon said. " This is the spirit world, and even though everything is in turbulence right now, those children are going to come to no harm! You have to allow them to live how they want without having to own up to you!"  
  
Obi-wan sighed and nodded, but Anakin looked almost angry at being told how to be a father.  
  
" Master Jinn I know you're very wise, but what do you know about parenting?" he asked calmly.  
  
" Anakin!" Obi-wan hissed, but Qui-Gon was smiling sadly.  
  
" I have experience in a matter similar to this one. If you push them too hard, you will end up driving them away," he said and he walked away, his head hanging. Anakin gave Obi-wan a questioning look, but before he could explain they Mayco and Tio walked in looking cheerful and confidant.  
  
" Okay, so make with the questions," Tio said happily as the girls sat down on a sofa together. Anakin opened his mouth, but Obi-wan shook his head.  
  
" Actually we trust that you weren't doing anything too outrageous," Anakin said after a while, though he looked like he wanted to scream and shout and rage. Mayco's jaw dropped.  
  
" What?" she asked looking bemused.  
  
" Don't make me change my mind kid," Anakin said gruffly. " Now go do that roof rot!" The girls looked at each other curiously, but Anakin suddenly jerked his hand uncontrollably and they jumped to their feet.  
  
" Uh, okay, well, we'll be on the roof!" Mayco said and the girls ran out. Anakin got to his feet and paced the kitchen. After about ten minutes he stormed out of the sitting room and out onto the front lawn. He looked up onto the roof where the two girls had clambered up to.  
  
" I am very angry with you Mayco, and you too Tio. Don't lie to me again!" he shouted and he stormed back inside feeling better.  
  
Up on the roof Mayco turned to Tio questioningly and raised her eyebrows.  
  
" Don't look at me he's your dad!" Tio laughed. Mayco grinned and shrugged her shoulders meekly. " Yeah I know, he does what he does, you have no idea why, same way that we don't know why you do the things you do! It's amazing how similar you guys are sometimes!" Mayco cocked her head to one side and her thoughts drifted to Leshia.  
  
" We really are one of the same breed right?" she said thoughtfully.  
  
" Yeah totally, you Skywalkers are something else!" Tio said fondly and she dug her scraper into the layer of thick moss and rot angrily.  
  
" Yeah you think Leshia's the same?" Mayco asked frowning.  
  
" What a Skywalker? Wouldn't you know if she were a Skywalker? I mean haven't you met practically all the Skywalkers there are?" Tio said pulling away from the moss and glaring at it.  
  
" Yeah, but she's a secret remember? I just got the weirdest vibe off her and you know my family, we like to do stuff big, I wouldn't be surprised if she'd done something really evil because hello, look who my father did!" Mayco countered. " And did you see her eyes? They were so Skywalker eyes!" Tio wrinkled her brow.  
  
" You guys have a patented set of eyes? Dude that's not cool!" she said jokingly. Mayco stuck her tongue out and stuck her own scraper into the rot.  
  
" Yeah, well Skywalker eyes are better than." She broke off and sniggered. " Al'lin toe hair!"  
  
" Hey you said you would never speak of that again!" Tio cried indignantly and she picked up a piece of moss and threw it at her friend.  
  
" Your brothers are proud of it you know! They love talking about it when you're not around!" Mayco said cheerfully dodging the filthy moss.  
  
" They do not!" Tio laughed and she lunged at her friend sending them rolling down the roof. After a few moments of shrieking laughter they suddenly reached the end of the roof and started freefalling.  
  
The fall only lasted a few seconds, but then all of a sudden they hit the floor with a tremendous thud.  
  
" Ouw!" they both cried out and they rolled around on the floor screaming for a few moments until the pain and the injuries started subsiding. However, before that could completely happen several people came running out into the driveway.  
  
" Did you just fall off the roof?" Obi-wan asked sounding shocked. Mayco and Tio grumbled a little more and then got to their feet weakly.  
  
" No, we climbed all the way down here, lay down on the floor and somehow managed to sustain grievous injuries!" Mayco muttered.  
  
" Well are you okay?" Padme asked and she crouched down by her daughter and held her in her arms, next to her Shmi was doing the same with Tio.  
  
" Yeah we'll be okay," Tio mumbled. Padme and Shmi pushed past the men and led the girls inside to the front room and sat them down on one of the sofas. The men followed angrily.  
  
" They're supposed to be doing the roof!" Obi-wan said sounding amused.  
  
" That is two dangerous for two children!" Padme said firmly, facing the men with a deathly stare on her face. Anakin hung his head and looked at his feet.  
  
" They can't actually get hurt falling off the roof!" Obi-wan countered.  
  
" They just did! Even if it's just for a few moments I don't want them to scream in agony for any reason. If you want that rot to get fixed then go up there and do it yourselves," she hissed. Obi-wan went red in the face and stormed out. Padme eyed the others up as if daring them to say anything, but they didn't and one by one they filed out.  
  
" Thanks mom," Mayco said softly and she rubbed her side where she had felt searing pain only moments before.  
  
" Sweetie, next time you don't get invited to something, please don't try and listen in?" Padme said fondly sitting down next to Mayco and wrapping her arms around her.  
  
" Well next time we won't try it via the roof," Mayco said and Tio chuckled. Padme however shook her head firmly.  
  
" No, you're not supposed to know about everything that happens! This is business for the high council, you have to promise me you're not going to try and find out what they are discussing!" Shmi suddenly said sounding scared and angry. Mayco gave Tio a worried glance, but nodded all the same.  
  
" We promise!" Mayco said and she gave Tio an urgent look.  
  
" Yeah we promise!" Tio added. Padme smiled warmly at the children and then got to her feet.  
  
" Well your grandmother and I were on our way to see Hale," she said and Shmi too got to her feet. Mayco bit her lip and suddenly sat up straight.  
  
" Do you guys know Leshia?" she asked quickly. Tio's eyes went wide and she gave Mayco an incredulous look, but Mayco only fidgeted slightly and held her ground. Padme shook her head simply.  
  
" I've never heard of anyone called Leshia." she began.  
  
" Leshia," Shmi interrupted sounding deep in thought. " That name sounds so familiar to me. I think I once knew a Leshia, back on Tatooine, before Ani was born. I think, I can't really remember, but I think she was there when he was born," she said frowning deeply. Mayco's heart fluttered excitedly in her chest and she managed to compose her face into a grateful smile.  
  
" But not here right?" Tio asked, with a similar triumphant look on her face. Shmi shook her head apologetically.  
  
" No, I'm sorry darlings," she said fondly. Mayco felt a sudden rush of affection for her and she got to her feet and hugged her grandmother tightly.  
  
" That's okay nonny, everything's okay," she said firmly and she motioned to Tio before heading out. They walked through the house out onto the gravel path leading down to a deserted lake.  
  
They silently climbed onto one of the small boats and paddled it out to a floating jetty just off shore. They loved watching the sunset from this jetty and it also gave the illusion of complete privacy, even though the retreat was only a couple of dozen meters away.  
  
As they reached the jetty they climbed up onto it and sprawled out over the soft wooden surface. They leaned back on their elbows and looked out over the serene lake.  
  
" Leshia has something to do with your family May, I mean she was there when your dad was born," Tio eventually said. Mayco sighed grimly.  
  
" I know, I wish I knew what it all meant," she said rolling things around in her head. First Sith in the spirit world, then mysterious happenings in the material world and now strange women who's existence was one of the largest kept in the spirit world and who was present at one of the most momentous occasions in modern history. What did it all mean?  
  
" Wanna go to the material world now?" Tio asked and Mayco nodded. They sat up in a cross-legged position and closed their eyes, focusing all their energy on crossing over.  
  
Instantly though they felt something was wrong, but it was too late! Instead of the gentle warm feeling of crossing over, suddenly it felt like they had been plunged into ice-cold water. Everywhere went blank and they were stuck.  
  
" Tio!" Mayco screamed into the darkness. " Tio where are you?" she shrieked and terror flooded her mind, and her blood started to boil in fury. " Whoever you are let me go!"  
  
The darkness echoed back at her and then everything fell silent. 


	5. Luke

The New Way  
  
Luke  
  
The silence was deafening, the darkness terrifying. For the first time in her life Mayco's thoughts strayed to those poor souls that were deaf-blind. She flailed her arms out and felt nothing.  
  
" I'm afraid let me go!" she cried out weakly. " Please?"  
  
No response. Mayco dropped to her knees on the hard ground and put her hands over her eyes.  
  
" Let me go!" she suddenly shrieked leaping to her feet and flailing her arms and legs around; doing high performance combat moves into the ever encroaching darkness. After what seemed like forever she dropped into a heap on the floor crying pathetically and burying her face in her arms. For a few brief moments she was acting like the child she really was.  
  
But moments later she pulled her head up and her tears subsided. Realisation was dawning on her and she no longer felt afraid. She held her head up high and focused on her inner well of peace and soon she felt calm inhabiting every cell of her body.  
  
The darkness washed away and she fell to the floor. Within moments she had leapt to her feet and she looked around herself tentatively. Within moments she realised something was horribly wrong..again.  
  
Usually when she visited the spirit world she would appear and no one would so much as bat and eyelid, but this time.  
  
" Who are you?" the small boy asked frowning. Mayco stared determinedly ahead, and ignored him. " Who are you?" he repeated sounding even more curious. Mayco once more ignored him and looked beyond the small sandy- haired boy with green eyes to the group of adults staring at her in shock.  
  
" I..uh.." she stuttered and she looked away. Oh this was bad!  
  
" How can a child materialise?" the woman, that red-haired woman that Mayco had watched so many times and had a pet grudge against asked the man she recognised as her brother.  
  
" Wouldn't you like to know," Mayco hissed and she instantly regretted it. Everyone in the room suddenly looked defensive and the little boy standing in front of her took a swing at her, but his fist went straight through her.  
  
" Who are you?" Luke asked getting up and pulling his son away from this strange spirit child.  
  
" I'm Mayco Sk..Naberrie, Mayco Naberrie," she said angrily. Luke gave her a thoughtful look.  
  
" Why are you so angry little one?" he asked kindly.  
  
" Don't call me that! I'm nine years older than you!" she complained childishly. Luke lost his smile and instead a strange look crossed his face, comprehension was just inches away.  
  
" I remember you from somewhere, why do I recognise you?" he asked frowning. Mayco gulped and looked away.  
  
" You're too young to be a knight," Mara said curiously. " How did you learn how to appear as a spirit?" Mayco glared at the woman and stuck her chin into the air defiantly.  
  
" Yes I am too young!" she hissed. " Far too young, just like all of you were!" She threw her hand in the direction of Leia's children. " You don't understand!" she cried facing Luke again. " You are not true Jedi! You are not doing things the right way! You're destroying the Jedi order from the inside out, don't forget tradition, don't forget the Jedi code! I taught you better than that, you understood then why don't you see what you're doing to us?" Emotion practically oozed from her voice and from her face. Her anger at the latest events culminating into one tantrum.  
  
" Mayco, I know who you are," Luke suddenly gasped. Mayco was about to open her mouth in more protest when all of a sudden she felt herself being lurched back and moments later she opened her eyes and looked up into the terrified come furious faces of Anakin and Obi-wan.  
  
" Are you alright?" Anakin asked sounding distraught and he grabbed her face in his hands. Mayco nodded uneasily. Anakin's body crumpled in relief and he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up into a hug.  
  
" What were you thinking?" he suddenly yelled dropping her down and towering over her. Mayco's jaw dropped incredulously.  
  
" What?" she yelled back. " I was just visiting the material world as usual and then all of a sudden crud happened!" Anakin inhaled deeply, his whole body trembling with anger.  
  
" Go to your room!" he finally hissed. Mayco's scrunched up her face in disbelief.  
  
" What?"  
  
" You heard me!" Anakin shouted. Mayco glared at him and climbed in the boat. After a few moments she reached the shore and she stormed up the beach, tears streaming down her face. She ran in through the kitchen pushing past her grandmother and running up the stairs. Instead of heading to her own room though she ran to the other wing of the house and burst into her parents' room where her mother was sitting in her lounger reading a book.  
  
Padme looked up when the door opened and when she saw what was wrong she opened her arms to her daughter. Mayco climbed up in her mother's lap and buried her face in her shoulder.  
  
Padme stroked Mayco's back soothingly while the child's sobs subsided.  
  
" What happened?" she eventually asked when Mayco had calmed down enough.  
  
" Anakin just yelled at me because I was going over to the material world and I got stuck! And it was so scary mommy, I couldn't get out! It was the dark side! I was trapped in the dark side and it made me feel so scared and angry. Then I realised where I was and I calmed down and I went through to the material world only as a spirit!" she explained, tears still trickling down her cheeks helplessly. " All of them were there and that stupid Mara woman..."  
  
" Mayco," Padme warned gently.  
  
" Well she was being stupid and then Luke was being stupid and I go so angry with them for ruining everything!" Mayco lulled into silence and she just sniffed weakly, her shoulders drooping in defeat as she looked down at her hands in her lap.  
  
" Sweetie, it's not so bad," Padme said fondly and she stroked Mayco's hair out of her face.  
  
" It is bad! He was so angry with me and I didn't do anything wrong!" Mayco cried and she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck again. Padme just stroked her back and rocked the child.  
  
The door creaked open and she looked up to see her husband sneaking in. He gave her an expectant look, but she returned it with an accusing stare. He sighed and Mayco suddenly spun around. Seeing her father she jumped to her feet and started running again. She tried to dodge Anakin, but he caught her and lifted her up.  
  
" No! I don't want to see you!" Mayco cried out and she tried to struggle out of his arms.  
  
" Look I'm sorry I yelled at you," Anakin said sounding distracted; he was having enough of a job avoiding her flailing fists and feet.  
  
" No you're not! That's like the third time today!" Mayco countered angrily. " You've just been angry and you've taken it out on me! It's not fair!" Anakin bit his lip and put her down on her feet. Instead of bolting she glared up at him with her arms crossed.  
  
" You can't understand Mayco, I'm very scared about something," he said grimly. " And after what happened to Tio."  
  
" Where's Tio, is she okay?" Mayco cried and she tried to run again, but Anakin reached out and held her shoulder firmly.  
  
" Relax, she's fine! Very upset, but she'll be fine! Mom and her brothers are with her," he said. Mayco nodded and gulped back more tears. Anakin sighed and crouched down, pulling his daughter into a small hug. " I'm sorry I yelled at you fuzzyhead, you just mean so much to me!"  
  
" That's okay," Mayco mumbled into his shoulder, but half of her response was stifled by a huge yawn. She separated from her father and ran over to her mother and kissed her.  
  
" Goodnight," she said and then she ran back to Anakin and hugged him roughly. " Night!" she added cheerfully and she ran out of the room.  
  
After a slight detour through Tio's room she finally ended up in bed. Exhausted and emotionally drained the child was asleep within moments.  
  
* * *  
  
*Mayco?*  
  
*Who's there? What are you doing in my head?* the child demanded. She felt a presence wash over her and within moments her dim surroundings glowed bright and she found she was in a small glowing bright room. The room only held one other occupant. *Luke* Her tone was acidic, her glare obvious, but her brother looked elated.  
  
*I can't believe this worked! I can't believe I'm actually talking to my sister.*  
  
*So you know* Mayco stated dejectedly getting to her feet and turning her back on her brother.  
  
*Yes I know, I remembered right before you disappeared. I remember you talking to me, even though I don't know how it's possible* Luke explained. Mayco sighed and turned around again.  
  
*It was when you were tiny little babies still in my mom* she said sadly. *I found out she was pregnant right before I died! For some reason you guys became temporarily conscious and one day you started talking to me*  
  
Luke looked sad and his face was full of sympathy.  
  
*Seeing you and hearing your name sparked Leia's memories. She remembers our mother now, remembers her talking about you a lot. Mayco, why was our mother heart broken?*  
  
Mayco shook her head and sighed exasperatedly.  
  
*Honestly, I just can't believe we're related!* she complained, but her eyes were twinkling cheekily. *She was heart broken because her love for my father and her love for me were killing her* Luke looked incredibly sad again. *What? Okay yeah, it might have been because she missed you too* Mayco said cheekily. Luke smiled and shook his head.  
  
*What happened to you? How did you die?* he asked wincing. Mayco grinned happily and approached him slightly.  
  
*Palpatine killed me!* she said proudly puffing out her chest. *We were tricked. I was on a trip to see a speed race with Anakin, Obi-wan and Tio, when this huge generator building started exploding. We went to check it out sensing Sith and we all got separated. I'd been having visions depicting this happening and also I had to live with the knowledge that I am balance, and that only I could decide the Jedi fate, so I went after the Sith myself. Palpatine killed my best friend, and I turned to the dark side and battled them. Then right before I died I saw Anakin and I turned back. I saw that the only way to save him and the Jedi order was by sacrificing myself. So I killed Dooku, but didn't have time to protect myself from Palpatine.So yeah, that's how I died!* she explained proudly, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Luke however, looked mortified. Mayco could sense pain in him as he pictured what she had described.  
  
*And that's what turned Anakin, that's why he became Darth Vader. Obi-wan had promised to look after us, but he had failed and Anakin's fury and pain turned him and he battled Obi-wan* she carried on. *All this was too much for my mother. She died of a broken heart* Luke nodded meekly.  
  
*What was she like?* he asked after a while. Mayco thought carefully, thinking of ways to describe her mother.  
  
*She was...perfect!*  
  
Luke smiled broadly and nodded.  
  
*Her name was Padme Amidala, she was the senator of Naboo* she said proudly. Luke wrinkled his brow curiously.  
  
*Naboo? I've heard of that planet, didn't it sustain heavy damage by Imperial troops?* he asked.  
  
*Yeah, but apparently everything has been restored and they tried to use the original materials. Mom was so sad when she came to the spirit world, she watched every day till everything in Theed was restored to its former glory* Mayco explained. *You see she loves Naboo; she was elected to be queen when she was only fourteen because she was so amazing! She served two terms and when the end of her second term drew near everyone wanted her to stay on for a third, even though that wasn't allowed, but she refused and the new Queen begged her to become a Senator, because Naboo couldn't lose a great politician like her!*  
  
Luke nodded slowly taking all this. Even though his appearance was calm, Mayco knew that inside he was beaming; he and Leia had spent years trying to discover their mother.  
  
*What's the spirit world like?* Luke then asked sounding wistful - Mayco could sense jealousy in her brother.  
  
*It's....*  
  
* * *  
  
" Mayco wake up it's morning darling," Shmi's voice cut through her dream. Mayco woke with a start and was momentarily confused to find she wasn't in a small room with her brother.  
  
" Was that real?" she murmured rubbing her eyes.  
  
" What?" Shmi asked smiling, sitting down next to her granddaughter and putting her arm round the small girl.  
  
" Nothing nonny, it's okay," Mayco said trying to sound cheerful, but she felt so disappointed that she had been dragged out of her meeting with her brother - how had he done visited her?  
  
" Well, Tio isn't ready to come out of her room yet, so after we go see her, I thought you could come with me and your mother into the highlands to get some wild herbs and flowers," Shmi said. Mayco frowned.  
  
" Tio's still scared?" she asked worriedly. " I don't understand.I guess she never had experience with the dark side.unless something else happened to her.what did she say?"  
  
" She doesn't want to talk about it darling, now come on, have a long bath and then get changed. I'm going to go see if I can at least get her out of bed," Shmi replied and she got up and left Mayco alone with her thoughts.  
  
Half an hour later she was clean and dressed and running down the corridor in the direction of Tio's room. When she reached the familiar door she barged right in and found Tio sitting on top of her covers nestled into the crook of Obi-wan's arm. Obi-wan smiled at her, but Tio didn't even acknowledge her entrance.  
  
" Hey Tio," she said cheerfully and she ran over to the pair of them and jumped up on the bed, shuffling over to them on her knees.  
  
" Hey May," Tio whispered. Mayco bit her lip and gave Obi-wan a questioning look. He returned it with a comforting smile.  
  
" Say Tio..uh.." she began frowning. " So what did you see?"  
  
" Mayco," Obi-wan warned gently.  
  
" No it's okay, I wanna tell her," Tio said firmly looking into Mayco's face bravely. Obi-wan hugged her tightly for a moment.  
  
" Okay," he said softly.  
  
" I saw," Tio began and she trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes. " The dark side, but not only that, I saw these images of stuff that's going to happen. It was almost as if I had a vision, I saw the spirit world crumbling, I saw my parents dying, I saw you dying Mayco, it was all so horrible!"  
  
Mayco frowned from Obi-wan to Tio thoughtfully.  
  
" I was alone," she eventually said coarsely. Tio looked up interestedly.  
  
" Alone?"  
  
Mayco gulped back the lump in her throat and she nodded. Maybe it was time to tell Tio.  
  
" Tio when I went into the grotto, the most horrible thing for me was the darkness, and the silence and the fact that I was alone. I had no one, that's my biggest fear," she said softly.  
  
" But you're so strong," Tio countered.  
  
" Yeah, only when I have support, I nearly fell to pieces in the grotto Tio and it happened again yesterday, it was almost as if." She suddenly stopped and looked up at Obi-wan in surprise, realisation crossing her young face.  
  
" What is it?" Obi-wan asked curiously.  
  
" Obi-wan, I think I've finally been made a Jedi!" she gasped. 


	6. The shadow of Halem

A/N - While I was writing this I was listening to Radiohead, and everything suddenly made sense, I've made this huge legacy up in my head, starting long before the events in the SW saga, and I can't wait to write it all! Sorry I just had to share *big smile*! My stories are no longer just about Mayco, but I am going to introduce a lot more major characters, so look out for those in the future!  
  
The New Way  
  
The shadow of Halem  
  
Obi-wan frowned incredulously and shook his head. A smile was creeping across his lips. Tio however, gasped in shock and looked incredibly excited.  
  
" Before you get carried away," Obi-wan said quickly. " I don't think it's possible Mayco. You can't just become a Jedi, it is impossible in the spirit world!" Mayco stared at him with a slight look of disappointment on her face.  
  
" But I appeared as a spirit Obi-wan, me a spirit!" she said pointedly, pressing her fingers into her chest. " I faced my final trial, I must have passed halfway when I sacrificed my life and destroyed a Sith lord and everything? I mean couldn't I have become a Jedi if I can now appear as a spirit?"  
  
Obi-wan frowned and shook his head.  
  
" Well I don't know Mayco, we're going to have to consult Yoda about this, in the meantime, don't get your hopes up okay?" he said gently. Mayco nodded slowly, but she hadn't really heeded him and inside she was reeling with excitement.  
  
" Tio are you going to skulk around here all day, because my mom and nonny are making me come into the mountains with them and it's going to be so boring if you don't come?" Mayco asked. Tio bit her lip and then nodded.  
  
" Okay sure, I'll come."  
  
* * *  
  
" She honestly thinks that she's become a Jedi, is it even possible?" Obi- wan asked Qui-Gon worriedly. The men had seen the women and children off and were now sitting on the terrace enjoying the sunshine.  
  
Qui-Gon sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
" With the changing times, it is entirely possible. The laws that bind the spirit world are changing, we can all sense that. I hope for her sake that she is indeed mistaken," he explained.  
  
" But I still don't see how it's possible," Anakin muttered angrily.  
  
" The presence of Halem, creeping in it is," a gravely voice sounded from behind them. The men turned around and nodded to Yoda. " Encounter him the children did."  
  
" When they were trapped?" Obi-wan asked. Yoda nodded slowly.  
  
" Has she become a Jedi though?" Qui-Gon asked. " Because he will be able to plague her thoughts much more easily if she has." Yoda remained silent for a while and then he nodded his head gravely.  
  
" Passed his trial she did," he said after a while. " A Jedi young Skywalker has become!"  
  
" We should tell her and warn her!" Anakin said gruffly.  
  
" If we try and explain things to her we'll have to tell her everything," Obi-wan countered sadly. An unseen glance passed between Yoda and Qui-Gon, one that was full of sadness and fear.  
  
" Mayco isn't ready to know the full truth, she is not ready," Qui-Gon said simply. " There is something that Mayco has been hiding from us, and that is what she gets up to when she locks herself away each night."  
  
" To do with Halem it has," Yoda added.  
  
* * *  
  
Mayco's head lolled to one side boredly, she gave Tio a tired look and then lay back to relax in the sun.  
  
" Can we go yet? I mean haven't we got enough?" Tio asked jadedly leaning back on her elbows and staring at the two women hard at work, ploughing through the flowers and plants to find the herbs they needed.  
  
" Well we have some more herbs to find, but if you two want to go then you can," Padme said kneeling up and looking at the sleepy children fondly.  
  
" Yay!" they cheered and jumped to their feet. Mayco threw her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her cheek. Then they skipped off down the meadow until they reached the road. Here they slowed down and walked down it chatting amiably. After they had walked halfway home they suddenly heard a strange noise behind them. They spun around cautiously and scanned the surrounding trees. Seeing nothing they carried on walking again, but then they heard that strange noise again; they were being followed!  
  
" Lightsabers out?" Mayco asked Tio, who nodded and the pair pulled out their lightsabers and walked on listening carefully to what was going on behind them.  
  
" What do you think it could be?" Tio whispered.  
  
" Right now I'm not sure," Mayco replied worriedly. " I don't think it's anything too bad, I mean can you feel the dark side?" Tio shook her head and they walked on. When they reached their last junction of the journey suddenly their minds were blasted by something so powerful they dropped to their knees in surprise. Tio continued to lie on the floor completely disorientated, but Mayco managed to turn around, but she fell onto her side in the process. She looked up in a shadowy figure moving too fast to lock her eyes onto it. It danced around them for a while until it suddenly stopped in front of them.  
  
All Mayco could do was scream as it extended it's arm out to them. She screamed for anyone that would listen, but the figure still reached out to her.  
  
" No she's his daughter!" a voice shrieked from somewhere far away.  
  
It was a few inches away from her face when all of a sudden it disappeared. The world suddenly returned to normal and Mayco jumped to her feet. She spun around and saw someone lurking in the trees to her right. She recognised the dusty blue cloak instantly.  
  
" Leshia!" Mayco called out to the girl. She jumped in surprise before turning away and running through the trees. Mayco watched her go and her heart ached slightly, what had just happened?  
  
" May what happened?" Tio croaked from the floor and she climbed to her feet and stood beside her friend.  
  
" Do you think that was the shadow she was talking about?" Mayco simply stated. Tio frowned and shook her head.  
  
" I didn't see a shadow," she replied. Mayco trembled slightly and shook herself roughly.  
  
" Let's go home, I'm scared," she said gulping back waves of nausea. She hated the uncertainty of it all, the not knowing!  
  
Tio nodded shakily; if Mayco was scared then this was serious. They ran all the way home as quickly as the Force could carry them. When they reached their retreat they found the men and Master Windu sitting on the terrace enjoying some lunch. The girls didn't stop running till they were safely buried in Anakin and Obi-wan's arms.  
  
" What happened?" Obi-wan asked worriedly, trying to pry Tio off so he could see her face, but she wasn't budging.  
  
" Mayco?" Anakin asked gently. After a few moments Mayco looked up and saw everyone at the table staring at her worriedly. She instantly calmed down and inhaled shakily.  
  
" We just had the weirdest experience on the road, we got so disorientated and fell to the ground and there was this shadow and then this girl!" she said quickly, trying to spit it out as quickly as she could.  
  
" A shadow?" Qui-Gon asked calmly. Mayco nodded grimly. Qui-Gon exchanged a look with Master Windu and they got to their feet.  
  
" We have to go see Yoda," Master Windu said and they started off down the gravel path.  
  
" Wait Qui-Gon!" Mayco suddenly yelled. Qui-Gon stopped and looked up expectantly. Mayco trembled slightly and chewed on her lip, fighting the urge to mention what she knew. Eventually she sat down on Anakin's lap again and shook her head.  
  
" Never mind, it's okay, I'll tell you later!" 


	7. Leshia's story

The New Way  
  
Leshia's story  
  
Mayco opened her eyes to a crack. She had been lying in bed for hours unable to sleep, because every time she closed her eyes that awful shadow jumped out at her. Everyone had gone to bed just before midnight and ever since Mayco had been lying awake staring out of her balcony window.  
  
It had been the voices below her balcony that caused her to open her eyes. Very hushed and very soft, they were trying to keep quiet, but Mayco had been alert and was now curious as to who they were. She could sense that one of the speakers was Qui-Gon and he was quite preoccupied and didn't know she was awake.  
  
The other was a strange signature, it was familiar, but it kept on changing as if whoever it was was feeling extremely emotional.  
  
Unable to contain her curiosity again she cleared her mind and crawled off her bed and towards her balcony. She slowed down so that her presence would only creep into their minds and she hoped that they would be too preoccupied to sense her.  
  
By the time she reached the railings she could make out their voices clearly and she could just about see the tops of their heads. She realised in surprise that the other voice belonging to that changing signature was actually Leshia; that strange girl who had saved her from the shadow.  
  
Looking down on the top of her head she saw a mass of curly blonde hair, held back tightly from her face, but then exploding round the back of her head.  
  
Mayco's hand flew to the back of her own head and she felt roughly at her own mass of curly blonde hair, pulled back in a similar style to Leshia's. She took a moment to marvel at the similarity between them, but then their words captivated her attention and her hand dropped limply at her side.  
  
" You shouldn't have come here little one, you should have stayed by the lake!" Qui-Gon said calmly. Mayco's lips parted in surprise at this familiarity between them.  
  
" But master!" Leshia countered sounding sulky. " The gate isn't opening! Halem is what we have to worry about. He was coming this way! What could I do? I couldn't just let him come here and take them all! He will only listen to me, he always did!" Qui-Gon sighed deeply and shook his head.  
  
" I know, that is definitely true. Whatever he did, he would always return to you. That is why you need to stay by the gate Leshia, that is your place!" he said. Leshia shook her head sadly.  
  
" I get so lonely Master," she said softly. The pair lulled into silence and Mayco crept slightly closer. Leshia was now hanging her head and Qui- Gon was staring at her with a fond expression on his face. Again Mayco pondered at their familiarity with each other.  
  
" Leshia how can you get lonely when I come to visit almost every day?" Qui- Gon asked sounding amused.  
  
" I know," Leshia said and she sounded as though she were smiling. " I was never lonely before." She trailed off and for a moment Mayco was sure they would look up any second. " Before he came! It reminds me of what could have been Master, if only I could have controlled him more!"  
  
" You could never control him little one," Qui-Gon countered kindly. " You could never control him!" Mayco felt pain rising in the girl, but then Qui- Gon reached out and hugged her. Mayco felt almost voyeuristic, spying on them.  
  
" Now go home and watch that gate, I'll come see you in the morning. You know that he won't come here if you are there, so stay, do you hear me?" he warned her.  
  
" Yes Master," the girl said gravely. She turned to go and only when she reached the gravel path did she turn to wave to Qui-Gon. This was when Mayco saw her face for the first time; she was beautiful!  
  
Leshia waved to Qui-Gon and then her eyes fell on Mayco. Mayco pulled back from the balcony railings and hid her face in her arms. Leshia made a small smile of surprise, but she simply turned and walked away, leaving Mayco alone. She crawled back to into her room and closed the doors.  
  
After lying down in bed for a few minutes she realised she would never be able to sleep now. So she got to her feet and tiptoed over to her door. She pulled it open and stepped out onto the candle lit hall. The corridor was empty and silent, but Mayco knew that Qui-Gon must still be awake, so she crept down the corridor and down the stairs into the main hall.  
  
She followed the force until finally she found him in the conservatory overlooking the lake. He looked deep in thought, but as she approached a broad smile crept onto his face.  
  
" Hello Mayco," he said kindly. Mayco kept quiet, but sat down next to the wise Jedi on the sofa. " Can't you sleep?"  
  
" No, I just woke up, I had a bad dream," Mayco lied easily. Qui-Gon was either to preoccupied to sense her lie, or he didn't mind, because he didn't comment. " Why are you still up?"  
  
" I can't sleep either," he said simply. Mayco nodded and looked out at the beautiful lake. It was turning pink along the horizon; dawn was coming.  
  
" Qui-Gon, tell me a story?" she said suddenly. Qui-Gon smiled and nodded.  
  
" Alright," he said kindly. " A long time ago, on the dusty planet of Tatooine, there lived a girl named Marie. She was a poor girl who had been born in secret from slave parents. A man called Oxer Tiim, a kind bar owner who was a good friend of Marie's parents agreed to take her in and raise her to be a cook and a waitress in his bar. By age twenty-five she was savagely raped by what we believe was a powerful Sith apprentice who never came to power. This was the second time she had been raped. The first ten years earlier, had resulted in her first child, a little girl she named Yana." Qui-Gon paused and looked at Mayco pointedly. Mayco realised right away that this wasn't true, the name 'Yana' wasn't real, that was a cover up and Qui-Gon wanted her to know. Why?  
  
He was continuing with his story though, " I met Marie when she was heavily pregnant with her second baby. I was there with my master Count Dooku settling a dispute between the Hutts and the rebel faction 'the Ancara faction'. We had gone into the bar for some lunch and she was the one who served us. My master and I both sensed the amazing force presence inside the baby she was carrying. So we stayed until the baby was born and discovered that she had a midichlorien count that was almost as high as Yoda's. It was remarkable as Marie had no force potential at all."  
  
" Did you take the baby with you to the temple?" Mayco asked, unable to contain her curiosity anymore. Qui-Gon smiled.  
  
" Marie was reluctant to let go of her second daughter and Yana was even more reluctant. She desperately wanted a little sister! In fact for the few weeks that the baby was her family, Yana treated her much like a doll," Qui- Gon said fondly. " It was Yana who named the baby." Qui-Gon paused and Mayco could almost feel it in her bones what he was about to say. " Yana named her baby sister Leshia." Mayco's face split into a grin.  
  
" It's a pretty name," she said cheerfully.  
  
" Yes it is, a pretty name for a pretty little baby," Qui-Gon said equally as cheerfully. " Eventually after several weeks Marie regrettably released Leshia into my custody and my master and I took her back to the temple. I didn't see hide nor hair of either of them for eleven years, but I always kept an ear out and I learned of Leshia's progress. She was incredibly powerful and was widely known as the most powerful and intelligent initiate at the temple."  
  
Mayco nodded to herself, this she could believe, as she cast her mind back to that incredible power she displayed to Yoda.  
  
" Well amazingly when she was eleven and had received many requests to become the padawan of several accomplished Jedi Masters, one of them being my own master, because by this time I had passed the trials and been given the position of Jedi Knight. However, young Leshia tracked me down and asked if I would be her master."  
  
" She did? Wow!" Mayco gasped. " No initiate ever asks to be someone's padawan!" Qui-Gon smiled and nodded.  
  
" It is very rare yes, but I was so taken with this child that I agreed and she became my first ever padawan," Qui-Gon said proudly. " For eight years we enjoyed each others' company and she was improving with leaps and bounds every day. She was powerful there's no denying that, but she was also cocky, slightly arrogant and extremely roguish! Much like yourself, as is the way with the powerful ones!" Mayco blushed sheepishly.  
  
Qui-Gon beamed at her before carrying on with his story, " When she was nineteen, she had grown into a stunningly beautiful young woman. Suitors chased her wherever we went, she always turned them away knowing love is no path for a Jedi! Now Leshia was similar to yourself in yet another way, she too loved the thrills of the Parada spaceport. It is here where she met a young man not dissimilar to herself. He was only slightly older, dangerously handsome and he had a certain disrespect for the rules. His name was Matte Halem."  
  
Mayco's lips parted in surprise, but she hid it from Qui-Gon, who continued once more with his story, " At first she despised him, it was a pet hate that over time grew into something more profound. She fell in love with young Matte, and I truly believe to this day that the feeling was mutual, but he was bad news and he led her astray. I tried to warn her that I could not read his path, the dark side shrouded this young man, but Leshia didn't believe me and she fell pregnant."  
  
" Pregnant?" Mayco gasped. Qui-Gon nodded gravely.  
  
" She tried to hide it, but when she started to show, she had to confide in me," he said sadly.  
  
" And what did you do?" Mayco asked eagerly, completely enthralled by Leshia's story.  
  
" I took her back to her home planet of Tatooine to have the baby away from prying eyes and especially away from Matte Halem," Qui-Gon said sadly. " I had hoped to find her mother still alive, but sadly Marie had passed away. She had worked hard every single day of her life and tragically Yana wasn't anywhere to be found, because she had been sold into slavery by her crooked stepfather. After living on Tatooine for a few months Matte finally tracked us down and corrupted poor Leshia. She honestly believed what he said. He told her that he would take the baby and raise it away from the temple. I couldn't allow this; I could sense an incredible power in her unborn child." Qui-Gon lulled into silence sadly and Mayco touched his arm comfortingly.  
  
" Did she listen to you?" she asked gently. Qui-Gon smiled and shook his head.  
  
" No, no she didn't," he said solemnly. " Her love for him was blinding and she ran away with him shortly before the baby was due. I never saw her alive again. What became of her child I do not know."  
  
Mayco sensed Qui-Gon was lying about something, but she didn't want to pursue it. She had so much to go on now; she had so much to tell Tio. The lady of Aracaid Lake finally had a story!  
  
" Now, look at that, the sun is rising, if you don't get to bed soon your parents are going to be very disappointed with me," Qui-Gon said fondly and he led Mayco to the foot of the stairs. Mayco turned and hugged him quickly.  
  
" Thank you Qui-Gon," she whispered and with this she ran up the stairs and climbed into bed, her mind reeling with Leshia's story and all the different possibilities of the ending to her story passing from thoughts through to her dreams. 


	8. The warrior child

The New Way  
  
The warrior child  
  
Over the following week life returned pretty much to normal. Mayco had told Tio everything she had overheard and had been told by Qui-Gon and both were completely at a loss as to what to make of it all. So for the time being they pushed it to the back of their minds, because an important celebration was coming up - the midsummer festival.  
  
Both girls had been shocked to find that the seasons changed in the spirit world. They celebrated the Winter Festival where gifts were exchanged and they also celebrated the Midsummer Festival where everyone partied all the way through the night and elaborate performances were staged.  
  
This year Mayco and Tio were helping decorate the house with flowers and wreaths for the party they were holding for hundreds of guests. The men meanwhile were struggling in the lawn with the huge marquis they were trying to set up. The atmosphere was a pleasant one.  
  
" Girls can you take these outside to the fountain and decorate that?" Shmi asked the girls handing them baskets full of flowers, when she saw they were done trailing flower chains up the banisters. The girls obliged happily and they ran out into the drive to the central fountain to decorate it. What they saw outside however, brought them to a halt and they left their baskets forgotten in the middle of the dusty drive to go and investigate.  
  
Standing on the road next to the marquis were hundreds of black-cloaked figures, all of them with strange tattooed faces and hands. Lightsabers hung around their waists outside of their cloaks, visible for all to see. Most of them were adults, but Mayco and Tio's gaze was drawn to the smallest of the group, a child, a small girl looking menacingly at them.  
  
Mayco and Tio ran over to where Anakin and Obi-wan were whispering to each other, watching as Yoda and Qui-Gon talked with two of the cloaked strangers.  
  
" Who are they?" Mayco asked eagerly as she jumped up on one of the collapsible tables the men were setting up for food and drinks.  
  
" They're Warrior Jedi," Obi-wan replied softly.  
  
" Warrior Jedi?" Mayco asked wrinkling her nose slightly. " What the he."  
  
" Mayco," Anakin warned gently.  
  
" I mean yeah, what are they?" she asked grinning at her father cheekily. Anakin smiled back at her and slung his arm around her, leaning against the table next to her.  
  
" Jedi trained specifically to fight, leaving the diplomacy to us, they only help out in disputes," Obi-wan muttered and Mayco and Tio could see the blatant dislike he held for this group written all over his face.  
  
" I think they look cool," Mayco said sounding in awe. Tio nodded fervently.  
  
" No Mayco they are not cool!" Obi-wan said grumpily and he turned back to the tables trying to set one up on his own. Mayco and Tio looked to Anakin curiously, but he just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Mayco suddenly climbed to her feet and then climbed onto her dad's shoulders.  
  
" Horse back ride!" she ordered gleefully. Anakin laughed out loud, but obliged anyway, charging round the marquis with Mayco screaming gleefully. Tio feeling left out gave Obi-wan a doe-eyed expression and he smiled broadly.  
  
" Climb on," he said cheerfully and so Tio joined in Mayco's game.  
  
" Charge at them!" Tio ordered and the game turned into a small contest with Mayco and Tio wrestling and Anakin and Obi-wan trying to push each other.  
  
After several minutes of careless fun their game was suddenly interrupted by someone clearing their voice behind them. The small group stopped what they were doing and Obi-wan and Anakin turned round, bringing Mayco and Tio round with them.  
  
Qui-Gon and Yoda were standing with the small warrior Jedi between them. Qui-Gon was smiling fondly at the group, even Yoda looked amused, but the child was glaring at them ferociously.  
  
" Mayco, Tio, would you do us the honour of looking after Da'hi for us during the celebrations? Her clan are going to be staying the weekend on the grounds and we'd love for you to show her the ropes," Qui-Gon asked them kindly. Mayco and Tio jumped to the floor and nodded enthusiastically.  
  
" Yeah of course we will!" Mayco said eagerly. Da'hi didn't look impressed, but she nodded to them anyway and held out a beautifully tattooed hand. Mayco and Tio fought to shake it.  
  
" Do you wanna have a tour of the place?" Tio asked and Da'hi reluctantly nodded. Mayco and Tio skipped off beckoning for her to follow, which she did, again reluctantly.  
  
" You do know she is going to spit any of their kindness back in their faces?" Obi-wan hissed angrily, losing his trademark-composed manner. Qui- Gon smiled and shook his head.  
  
" Don't judge them all by the ones you have encountered Obi-wan," he said simply and he and Yoda turned to leave.  
  
* * *  
  
By the end of their tour Mayco and Tio were exhausted. They had literally bounced around the retreat and the grounds, showing Da'hi everything, who returned little more than a nod in return with each fascinating thing they showed her. By the time they collapsed on the beautifully decorated terrace they had given up trying.  
  
" Why don't you talk? I mean what's wrong with you?" Mayco demanded sounding sulky. Da'hi cocked her head to one side and shrugged.  
  
" I'm not like you," she said simply. " You play, I live," she added. Mayco and Tio looked outraged.  
  
" What do you mean we play?" Tio demanded.  
  
" You don't lead a serious life," Da'hi simply replied.  
  
" Yeah right we don't, do you know who we are? I bet we're more powerful than you and have seen a hell of a lot more too!" Mayco spat defiantly. Da'hi smiled and shook her head.  
  
" I don't think so," she countered.  
  
" Oh yeah? Well what have you done?" Tio asked smugly.  
  
" I helped defeat Halem," she said proudly. " My brother Ta'ri and I destroyed him!" If she was expecting any kind of reaction she didn't get it, because Mayco and Tio just stared at her blankly. " Do you know even who Halem is? Have they really taught you so little at the temple? Has it fallen from grace so much already?"  
  
" Hey! Do you mean Matte Halem? Because if you mean him then that's nothing compared to Count Dooku!" Mayco said angrily. Da'hi looked disgusted for a moment.  
  
" No I do not mean Matte Halem, though he and The Halem were one and the same. I mean Halem, Andor Halem, the first Sith," she said dangerously. Tio snapped her eyes onto Mayco, who was chewing on her lip worriedly.  
  
" How old are you?" she asked eventually. Da'hi looked important for a moment and she puffed out her chest.  
  
" I am twenty five thousand material years older than you are Skywalker," she said in a powerful tone.  
  
" You were around at the dawn of the republic?" Mayco asked distantly. Da'hi nodded.  
  
" I am one of the oldest Jedi," she said proudly. Mayco chewed on her lip and looked out at the lake feeling her cheeks burning.  
  
'Why am I being such a baby?' she thought to herself angrily. 'So someone has a bigger story than you to tell. Big deal! Stop acting like a spoilt brat!'  
  
Da'hi had a smug smile on her face and Mayco just couldn't take it anymore. She jumped to her feet and headed to the kitchen door.  
  
" I'm going to go see if my mother needs any help," she croaked, a strange lump was forming in her throat.  
  
" May wait!" Tio called after her friend, but Mayco was already through the door. Tio snapped her eyes back on the warrior girl and inhaled slowly. " So uh.how you doing?"  
  
* * *  
  
" Sweetheart if you're just going to hang around getting in the way, can you please go and bother your father? We're really very busy right now," Padme told her daughter as she nearly tripped over her for the umpteenth time.  
  
" Mom I don't play right?" Mayco asked thoughtfully as she got to her feet and faced her mother expectantly. Padme frowned in an amused way.  
  
" Of course you do, you're a little girl!" she said. Mayco looked forlorn.  
  
" No, but you know, I take life seriously right?" she persisted.  
  
" I hope not, you're only a child, you shouldn't be taking life seriously at your age," Padme countered. Mayco looked even more forlorn and she looked away chewing on her lip, deep in thought.  
  
" Maybe it's time for me to age, so then people might take me seriously," she said after a while.  
  
" Sweetheart what's wrong?" Padme asked fondly walking over to Mayco and taking a seat next to her. Mayco didn't respond so Padme pulled her onto her lap.  
  
" It's that stupid Da'hi girl!" Mayco grumbled. " She's." Mayco trailed off angrily biting her lip.  
  
" She's what?" Padme asked kindly.  
  
" She's twenty five thousand years older than me and she defeated the first Sith Lord! She's cooler than me mom!" Mayco complained. To her surprise though Padme just burst out laughing.  
  
" Sweetheart!" she exclaimed when she caught her breathe.  
  
" It's not funny!" Mayco countered raising her voice slightly.  
  
" No you're right, I'm sorry," Padme said soberly. " I just think you can be pretty silly sometimes. You're feeling threatened! This new girl is not 'cooler' than you, she's just different!" she explained. " She had her place in history and so did you! Remember who you are? Do you remember how important you are to the Jedi?"  
  
" Yeah, but she's being all high and mighty with us!" Mayco muttered bitterly. Padme smiled.  
  
" Kids are like that!" she said fondly. Mayco didn't pick up on what Padme was really saying; she was too preoccupied with thoughts on Da'hi to notice that her mother was saying that she too often acted high and mighty. " Just be high and mighty back with her! You always managed before with other kids here, just be 'cool'," Padme said smiling. Mayco grinned and nodded.  
  
" You're right, I'm being a moron." Suddenly she trailed off and frowned deeply. " Wait a second!"  
  
" What?" Padme asked curiously, but Mayco had already jumped to her feet and stormed out of the house. She didn't stop running until she reached Da'hi, who was looking very bored with something Tio was telling her.  
  
As Mayco ran out onto the terrace Da'hi looked up superiorly.  
  
" What the hell did you mean when you said that original Halem guy and Matte Halem were on and the same?" Mayco asked breathlessly. Da'hi smiled evilly and opened her mouth to tell them an amazingly dark story. 


	9. Fireworks

The New Way  
  
Fireworks  
  
" You may be interested to know that Matte Halem is the son of Darth Sidious," Da'hi said importantly. Mayco and Tio's jaws dropped slightly in surprise. " He continuously raped a young Jedi Knight who went by the name of Aria Zen. She was only twenty-five years old. Finally she fell pregnant, and all the way through her pregnancy she was forced into ritualistic ceremonies designed to entice the spirit of Andor Halem, the greatest Sith that ever lived, into the growing child. The final step in this ritual was to sacrifice the young mother as she went into labour and surgically remove the child." Da'hi stopped and looked at the horrified looks on the other girls' faces. " Do you wish for me to continue? If this is too disturbing for you, then you can run back to mummy if you like!"  
  
Mayco glared at Da'hi ferociously and held her head up high.  
  
" You wish, get on with it," she said coldly. Da'hi looked even more thrilled to have rattled her and grinned broadly before carrying on.  
  
" As a consequence of these rituals the new baby now contained the evil spirit of Halem and he was named Matte Halem," Da'hi said.  
  
" So this shadow that's been hanging around is Halem? This evil Sith guy?" Tio asked Mayco in a subdued tone. Mayco shrugged weakly.  
  
" But that means that Leshia and him were destined to be together. Good and evil together. Really strange!" she replied softly. Mayco looked up at Da'hi who in turn looked away pretending not to have overheard anything. " Say what are you doing here anyway?"  
  
" What do you mean?" Da'hi asked casually.  
  
" Your clan, what are you guys doing here?" Mayco repeated bristly. Da'hi looked contemplative for a while, but then she smiled again.  
  
" We are here in preparation for the great battle. We are going to fight!"  
  
* * *  
  
The rest of the day flew by in a flash and by the time Mayco's head hit her pillow she was already asleep. She instantly realised something was different, because she found herself in that brightly lit room again. Sitting opposite her was Luke, looking thrilled with himself.  
  
Mayco cocked her head to one side and raised her eyebrows.  
  
*Good evening Mayco* he said cheerfully.  
  
*How do you keep doing that?* Mayco asked. Luke smiled and shook his head.  
  
*I don't know, I just concentrate on reaching you in my meditation and somehow it juts works* he said, evidently proud of his accomplishment. *It made me too tired last night, so I went to bed and had to wait till morning. I must have left you feeling pretty confused!*  
  
Mayco stared at him thinking he was confusing her now.  
  
*Last night?* she mumbled curiously, but then she realised what was wrong. *Oh, no you don't get it. To me that was ages ago. It may only seem like a little while to you, but time passes differently in the spirit world* Luke looked surprised.  
  
*Wow, that's amazing!* he gasped.  
  
*And another thing, it was my grandmother who stopped my dream, she came in and woke me up* she said.  
  
*Our grandmother?*  
  
*Yeah, our grandmother* Mayco repeated uneasily. *Dad's mom, her name is Shmi. She was a slave on Tatooine. She had no Jedi training, she was killed by sandpeople. Qui-Gon managed to get her into the spirit world*  
  
Luke slowly took all this information in and nodded.  
  
*So what do you do?* he eventually asked. Mayco wrinkled her brow and stared at her brother in a confused way.  
  
*Like what do you mean?* she asked after a while.  
  
*In the spirit world, what do you do there?* Mayco cocked her head to one side and shrugged.  
  
*You know, not a lot actually* she said cheerfully. I mean it's supposed to be the time where you enjoy everything you had to sacrifice as a Jedi. So everyone is pretty chilled. Uh, we have a High Council in the spirit world, everyone answers to them and that's pretty much it*  
  
Luke smiled and nodded. He seemed completely enthralled by what she had to say.  
  
*So where do you live?* he asked sounding mesmerised. Mayco sighed deeply and shook her head.  
  
*Look can I tell you about all this later, because I actually have a question for you. A few weeks ago two little girls showed up, they'd gone into the grotto and died and.*  
  
*Laika and Ari?* Luke gasped. *They're with you? Safe and with you?* Mayco raised her eyebrows curiously and nodded.  
  
*Wanna tell me what happened? Because there's so much going on at home right now, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Me and Tio are trying to find out everything, but like everything over there, it's taking too long!* she said. Luke didn't smile this time, he looked incredibly serious.  
  
*We found those two little girls dead after we felt an incredible fluctuation in the force, but that was only a couple of days ago!*  
  
*Hey I told you about time! So what killed them? Because they don't remember anything!* Mayco asked. Luke still looked grave.  
  
*It was horrible, they were...*  
  
* * *  
  
" Hey kid, get your butt out of bed, it's already ten-o clock and you have to keep Da'hi amused!"  
  
Mayco jumped up in bed in surprise and looked up into the curious face of her father. She stared at him blankly for a moment before she remembered what he was talking about.  
  
" You okay?" he asked flinging the curtains open. Mayco rubbed her eyes and nodded.  
  
" Yeah, just having a weird dream," she said tiredly. Anakin beamed at her and walked out onto her balcony to see what was going on downstairs. " Anakin?" Mayco called after a while.  
  
" Yeah?"  
  
" What did you see in the grotto?" she called. Anakin turned around and walked over to the doorframe, looking at her curiously.  
  
" Why's this coming up all of a sudden?" he asked fondly.  
  
" Just wondering, you never told me," she said curiously. Anakin smiled weakly and shrugged.  
  
" It was to do with your mother, but I can't really tell you, those things should be kept personal," he explained. Mayco nodded.  
  
" You can't die in there right?" she asked frowning. Anakin cocked his head to one side and approached his daughter.  
  
" You thinking about those two little girls from a while back sweetheart?" he asked sitting down next to her on the bed. Mayco nodded again. " Times are changing, I don't know what to tell you. Things might get pretty dangerous for a while," he said gravely and Mayco instantly realised he knew something she didn't.  
  
" How do you know?" she asked suspiciously. Anakin grinned boyishly at her and shook his head.  
  
" You're too curious, now get up and show this pain round, the festival is tonight, so you don't really have long," he said and Mayco could have sworn she saw pain in his eyes.  
  
" Anakin what's wrong?" Mayco asked sounding scared. For one wonderful moment he was sure he was going to tell her, but then he grinned again, reached out his hand and ruffled her hair.  
  
" Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you!" he said firmly before he got up and left. Mayco chewed on her lip thoughtfully before throwing off her duvet and walking over to her cupboard.  
  
Within moments she was dressed in black linen trousers held up by a brown leather belt, a white tank top and some sandals. She attached her lightsaber onto her belt and then headed downstairs to find Tio and Da'hi staring at each other over the breakfast table.  
  
" Morning," she said brightly.  
  
" It is indeed a fine morning," Da'hi said cheerfully. Tio snorted and looked away quickly, avoiding Da'hi's glare.  
  
" Say, why don't you talk like a normal kid? I mean I know you're from the times of yore and everything, but seriously, what's up with you?" Mayco asked as she helped herself to some fruit.  
  
" I can do a lot of things you can't," Da'hi said simply. Mayco narrowed her eyes at the girl and chewed on her lower lip.  
  
" Look missy," she eventually said slamming her orange down so hard that juice squirted out in all different directions. Some of it hit Tio in the eye and she started squealing in pain. Da'hi sniggered with laughter as Mayco ran around after Tio trying to apologise. Eventually the pain subsided and both girls glared across the table at Da'hi. " As I was saying!" Mayco hissed dangerously. " You may be like ancient and everything, but I am balance, I am a Skywalker. You're just this random tattooed jerk who came out of nowhere!"  
  
Da'hi glared back at Mayco with equal ferocity and she rose to her feet placing one hand on her lightsaber. Mayco stood her ground and trembled slightly with anger.  
  
" I challenge you to a dual Skywalker!" Da'hi hissed. Mayco grabbed her own lightsaber and nodded.  
  
" Prepare to die Da'hi!" she hissed, but then she frowned slightly before adding, " Again!"  
  
* * * The girls walked calmly down to the beach, passing lots of busy adults who smiled at them in a hassled way as they walked past. When they reached the lake shore Mayco kicked off her sandals and turned to face Da'hi, who had thrown off her cloak to reveal a very old style of dark brown clothing. They nodded their heads to each other before igniting their lightsabers.  
  
Mayco's deep turquoise blue blade met Da'hi's vibrant green one with such power that Da'hi stumbled back a little.  
  
" Too much for you?" Mayco gloated, but Da'hi was already back and moving very fast. Mayco's smugness would have cost her her arm, because Da'hi's blade slashed through her arm.  
  
" Your arrogance costs you so much Skywalker," Da'hi hissed as the pair battle on ferociously.  
  
" Hey you know that's not actually my name!" Mayco hissed back, smashing her blade down on Da'hi's, pushing it into the sand. " I'm a Skywalker yes, but my name is Naberrie!"  
  
" You take your common mother's name?" Da'hi snorted. Mayco instantly vanquished her blade and stepped back, her face contorted in a mixture of rage and sadness.  
  
" What did you say about my mother?" she whispered, her whole body shaking with anger. Da'hi smiled proudly.  
  
" I called her common, which is what she is. She is no Jedi!" she hissed back. Mayco inhaled calmly and she closed her eyes, feeling an immense calm wash over her. When she opened her eyes she saw a look of fear cross Da'hi's face before she lunged at her.  
  
* * *  
  
Relations between the Jedi and the Warrior Jedi were always pleasant; impersonal, yet pleasant, but as the fight on the beach started to gather more of an audience the Warriors started getting rather angry with the Jedi. This was because Mayco was evidently beating Da'hi, but not only that, she was being as Mace had once said 'heartless'. She had Da'hi on the ground and was continuously slashing at her with her lightsaber, passing her blade through her opponent's body.  
  
Anger was coursing through her veins and nothing could stop her. Da'hi had crumbled at her feet and now she was tearing her to pieces, shredding any dignity the girl had left.  
  
No amount of shouting from the terrace could stop her, it was only when she was lifted off her feet and her lightsaber snatched from her hand that she was stopped. Her anger ebbed away as she saw several warrior Jedi drop to their knees at the shaking girl's side, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for her.  
  
She was placed on her feet and she felt a rough hand on her neck pushing her up the beach towards the house. As they hit the path, the sheer amount of gravely footsteps she heard meant that she was in big trouble, because lots of people were accompanying her.  
  
The warriors glared at her in hatred as they passed, but Mayco paid them no attention, she had defended her honour and her mother's honour, nothing was more important than that.  
  
As they reached the house she was surprised to find that they didn't stop in the kitchen, instead she was marched all the way upstairs to her room. Once there whoever had hold of her sat her down on her bed and Qui-Gon stepped into view, closing her balcony doors.  
  
Mayco tried to get to her feet to see who was in her room.  
  
" Sit!" an angry voice came from behind her: Master Windu. Mayco nodded to herself and sat down, instead she looked over her shoulder and found Anakin, Obi-wan, Yoda and several other members of the high council standing behind her. Anakin looked incredibly disappointed, but Obi-wan looked almost happy with her.  
  
" Explain yourself please?" Qui-Gon asked calmly. Mayco shrugged.  
  
" She challenged me to a dual, I accepted," she said simply.  
  
" And the sheer brutality you displayed?" Mace demanded unable to hide his anger with the young girl.  
  
" She insulted my mother," Mayco hissed and she turned around and saw Anakin's expression soften instantly. " I was defending her honour!" She turned to look at Mace and he stared silently into her eyes.  
  
" You can't possibly understand the danger you put us all in tonight!" he said after a while. " Or the fine balance you could have jeopardised! You will stay here; we will try and resolve the situation. Mayco by no means are you to leave this room until one of us comes and gets you!"  
  
Mayco sighed, but nodded anyway. All the adults left the room except for Anakin, who lingered for a moment and put his hand on the side of her face, cupping her face.  
  
" You did bad, but I would have done the same thing!" he said gently and he kissed her forehead before leaving.  
  
* * *  
  
Darkness had fallen. The festival was well underway, but Mayco was still banished to her room. She sat on her bed cross-legged simply staring out the balcony doors as wonderful smells and sounds wafted in through the open windows. Temptation was almost too much for the young girl, but she still stayed put.  
  
As the clock neared midnight Mayco breathed in deeply. She could hear the excitement outside growing as people made their way down to the beach to watch the fireworks over the lake. She couldn't bring herself to get up to watch.  
  
" I deserve what I got," she said to herself for the hundredth time and she closed her eyes. She didn't want to see the fireworks; she wanted her punishment to be complete.  
  
She sat in silence for a long time, quietly thinking things over in her head. Finally the first firework sounded and she smiled, the midsummer festival meant a lot to her even if she wasn't allowed to enjoy it.  
  
The various 'oohs' and 'aahs' from below meant that as usual the fireworks were heavenly, but after a while something definitely out of the ordinary happened: a massive explosion rocked the whole house and filled Mayco's closed eyelids with light.  
  
Her eyes flew open and pain filled her senses for a moment. Screams from below meant that something big was happening. Her eyes darted to the horizon and she saw flames lifting into the sky from across the lake.  
  
Something horrific had happened, Mayco could feel it in her bones and complete fear engulfed her. She knew, she knew right away, that gate, that gate that Leshia was guarding had finally been broken...  
  
* * *  
  
Please review, because seriously, what's the point in posting here if no one reads it. If you want to know how this story unfolds then please review a little bit. I don't want like loads, just a little, I put so much effort into this! 


	10. The call

The New Way  
  
The call  
  
Mayco climbed tentatively to her feet and approached the window. She looked down onto the terrace and the beach and saw that the panic she had heard was mostly done by the children attending the party. The adults were trying to calm them, but at the same time they had all withdrawn their lightsabers and were anxiously watching the horizon of the lake.  
  
Mayco scanned the hundreds of different shining blades, trying to identify her father. She could always recognize him, regardless of how many countless Jedi he was immersed with.  
  
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see him anywhere. She was about to jump over her balcony and join the waiting Jedi when she heard footsteps in the corridor outside her door. Moments later it flew open and Anakin rushed in.  
  
" Come on you, let's get going!" he said looking terrified. Mayco ran over to him and clung to his side, instantly feeling calmer.  
  
" Anakin what happened? It's the gate right? It broke open!" she asked as he started herding her out of the room and down the corridor.  
  
" I'm not even going to ask how you know about that, but yes, so I need to protect you!" he said and finally they reached a tiny door Mayco had never seen before. He pushed the door open to reveal a gorgeously luxurious room. Sitting inside were Padme, Shmi and Tio.  
  
" What's this?" Mayco asked curiously.  
  
" It's taken me hundreds of years to set up, but it's a hidden spot," he said proudly. Mayco frowned and raised her eyebrows.  
  
" It's a space that can be hidden by the force itself," he said trying to push Mayco inside, but she wasn't budging. " It means that you can only get into it if you know it's there. It's protected from dangerous things like fire and explosions and stuff, it's indestructible."  
  
" Well that's great, but I'm not going in there!" Mayco said eventually. Anakin stared at her looking confused. " Yeah you see I'm not a coward, and I know you want to protect me, but I have to get out there and face whatever's coming with the rest of them!"  
  
" No," Anakin finally said sounding firm. " No you're not, you're getting in here so I can protect you!" Mayco chewed on her lower lip in a frustrated way for a few moments.  
  
" Anakin no! I'm not doing it and you can't make me!" she eventually said.  
  
" Yes I can I'm your father so you'll do as I say!" he countered sounding angry.  
  
" No I'm not going to do as you say! I'm not leaving your side, you'll have to protect me that way," she said and she turned to leave. Anakin was about to physically place her in the room when Padme touched his arm gently. She looked scared, but determined.  
  
" Ani, don't!" she said softly. He stared into her eyes and felt his resolve melting. " Let her help you, you can look after each other! I would feel better if I knew she was watching over you," she added.  
  
" Well if Mayco's going then so am I!" Tio interrupted.  
  
" No, you're staying here!" Mayco said suddenly turning round and glaring at Tio.  
  
" What? You can't tell me what to do!" Tio complained.  
  
" Look Tio last time you didn't do as I say you died okay? And I'm not just going to watch that again!" Mayco countered, simply radiating power.  
  
" No, look you still can't tell me what to do!" Tio grumbled.  
  
" She can't, but I can, you're staying here!" Obi-wan's voice suddenly came from along the corridor. " Tio you stay here, but Mayco if you're coming, we have to go soon!" Mayco gave her mother and nonny a longing look, but she then nodded to Obi-wan. She waved to the group in the room and headed off down the corridor. Anakin and Obi-wan bode goodbye to the group too and followed her. Within moments they had joined the vast amount of Jedi standing on the terrace. They walked until they found Qui-Gon. He looked incredibly worried about something; somehow Mayco thought it was Leshia. With the gate bursting open, what had happened to the young girl?  
  
" Qui-Gon," Obi-wan greeted the man. Qui-Gon turned to see them and didn't look at all surprised that Mayco was with them.  
  
" How long have we got?" Anakin asked, making sure Mayco was safely between himself and Qui-Gon.  
  
" Yoda says not long," he replied calmly. Mayco bit her lip and then she pulled on his sleeve. He looked down at her and smiled, but she indicated for him to crouch down, which he did giving her a curious look.  
  
" What's happened to Leshia?" she whispered in his ear. Qui-Gon looked slightly surprised, but then he smiled.  
  
" You don't miss a trick do you?" he whispered back. " I'm sure she's safe Mayco, she can look after herself. She always could!"  
  
" But she must have been by the gate when it exploded! What if she was caught up in the blast?" she countered.  
  
" Mayco, I can sense that she is still alive, my bond with my old apprentice is very strong, she's like a daughter to me, she's disorientated and lost out there all alone, but she is still alive!" Qui-Gon said grimly. " Besides, he won't touch a hair on her head!"  
  
" Who Halem?" This time Qui-Gon beamed at her.  
  
" You are too smart for your own good, but yes Halem," he said. " Now when this is all over Mayco, we are going to have a good chat about what you know!"  
  
" I know everything!" Mayco said proudly. Qui-Gon smiled and shook his head.  
  
" No little one, only Leshia knows everything," he said kindly. With this he got to his feet and met Obi-wan and Anakin's curious eyes. He quickly shook his head and then they all turned back to the shore.  
  
" What are we waiting for?" Mayco asked feeling all the hairs on her arms standing on end, whatever was coming was drawing closer.  
  
" Them," Anakin growled. Smoke was rising in the distance and flocks of birds were rising in waves, as if something was raging through the forest. Mayco gulped back a shudder and held her head up defiantly. " You're scared," Anakin said suddenly. Mayco shrugged her shoulders meekly.  
  
" Yes I am," she whispered.  
  
" Then why are you here?" her father pleaded, turning on her looking forlorn. Mayco shrugged her shoulders again and reached over and grabbed his hand.  
  
" I don't want to lose you again!"  
  
Anakin smiled down at his daughter, but he left the matter alone. He knew that even with that tough bravado she put on, inside she had a heart of gold.  
  
*Mayco, help me!*  
  
" Did you hear that?" Mayco said suddenly, turning this way and that, trying to spot where that voice had come from.  
  
" What?" Anakin asked.  
  
" That voice?"  
  
*They can't hear me Mayco, I need your help!* the voice came again. The second time she heard it she recognised it as Leshia's voice. *They can't help me, because they don't know. They need Qui-Gon and Yoda too much, but you, you can help me*  
  
*But where are you?* Mayco asked feeling her insides squirming. Whatever had burst through that gate was drawing nearer.  
  
*You'll find me, you have to get away now!* Her presence faded from Mayco's mind and she was left staring at the dust cloud. She looked up at her father and saw he was grinding his teeth, itching to battle whatever was coming. On her other side Qui-Gon was standing with his eyes shut in silent meditation.  
  
" Dad?"  
  
All three men turned and stared at her seeing the resolve on her face.  
  
" I need you to trust me, I have to go do something," she said. She was expecting an outburst, but to her complete surprise Anakin simply smiled weakly and nodded.  
  
" Look after yourself," he croaked, as if there was something lodged in his throat. Mayco smiled and hugged him.  
  
" You too!" she said and with this she darted back up the path and straight to the garage. She grabbed her swoop bike and kicked the door open. Within moments she was speeding away from the retreat, heading towards that ominous cloud.  
  
* * *  
  
Thank you for reviewing!! 


	11. Heliad Gate

The New Way  
  
Heliad Gate  
  
Mayco travelled for hours; she seemed to be bypassing the large dust cloud that was rising above the forest canopy. After a very long time she realised it was now behind her, it had left total destruction in its wake. Mist combined with lots of dust floating in the air made the air smoggy and it was difficult to see into the distance, it was also choking Mayco's engine and she had to carry on on foot.  
  
Her head started pounding and her skin started creeping: Leshia was close. She could feel the raw power radiating from the forest in front of her.  
  
Just as it was getting too hard to bear she heard a faint crack in front of her, as if someone was walking over the fallen branches. Mayco pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it. Only a few meters away a bright purple blade ignited.  
  
" Master Windu?" Mayco called cautiously, knowing that she was wrong. The purple blade moved closer and with it came a shadowy figure.  
  
" Mayco?"  
  
" Leshia!" Mayco instantly vanquished her blade and watched as Leshia did the same. By now she was clearly visible and she threw off her hood revealing for the first time her beautiful face up close. Her face revealed no fear; she was looking defiant and strangely happy.  
  
" Thanks for coming, I wasn't sure if you would!" Leshia said and she started walking. Mayco followed quickly.  
  
" So what is going on? I mean seriously, I know some stuff, but I just don't get it! Is it the Sith that have broken through?" Mayco asked eagerly. Leshia sighed and shook her head.  
  
" In a way," she said softly. " Amongst other things, more dark and corrupted than even they!"  
  
" More dark than the Sith?" Mayco asked incredulously.  
  
" Yes, they don't have names, they have never been seen by living eyes. They are creatures of the dark world. That's where the spirits of the Sith go when they die!" Leshia said grimly.  
  
" So how do you know about them?" Mayco asked curiously. Leshia sighed even heavier and shook her head.  
  
" Half of who I am is trapped in the dark world, I see things there that I don't like to see!" she said solemnly. Mayco thought of Halem and nodded.  
  
" That gate, its to the dark world then?" she asked. Leshia nodded.  
  
" Yes, the Heliad gate," she replied. " It's a portal from this world to theirs. We can't survive without each other, we have to be interdependent. That gate has never been opened before, even during dark times in the material world, the balance still remained and the gate remained sealed."  
  
" So why now?" Mayco asked, realising that they had reached a lakeshore; she saw in horror that the lake was a deep black colour, reflecting everything, but distorting the images. As she looked into the lake she pulled away quickly. " Oh my God!" she hissed and stumbled away as quickly as she could.  
  
" I know," Leshia said sadly. " It reflects the evil in you. Everyone has a little bit of evil in them!"  
  
" I must have a lot," Mayco grumbled, thinking of the horrifically mutated reflection she had seen.  
  
" You have more than most Jedi yes," Leshia said simply. Mayco scrunched up her face and was about to yell at the girl, but then she stopped.  
  
" Because I'm balance?" she asked grimly. Leshia nodded.  
  
" Half of everything you are is dark Mayco, that is a lot more than most Jedi," she explained. Mayco hung her head and closed her eyes feeling deflated. " Don't ever feel bad about who you are Mayco, you are the most wonderful person I have ever met!"  
  
Mayco looked up grinning.  
  
" Get out of here, you're just trying to be nice!" she laughed, but she felt better. " So anyway, why did you call for me?" Leshia lost her smile and she looked out at the lake.  
  
" Mayco what I am going to ask of you is going to be very dangerous and scary, but seriously, you have to trust me on this! There's only two people in this entire world that can help me and the other one doesn't know I exist," she said. Mayco eyed the other girl carefully.  
  
" My dad," she said eventually. Leshia nodded resignedly. " You're like us aren't you?" Again Leshia nodded and she started looking around for something. " Why are we the only ones who can help you?"  
  
" Because we have something inside us that will allow us to pass through to Heliad without us getting influenced too much by what lurks there," she said and finally she found what she had been looking for: a small boat.  
  
" We're going through that gate?" Mayco gasped feeling instantly worried. Leshia pulled the boat onto shore with a rope and only then did she turn back on Mayco.  
  
" Yes! We have to find the lost ones and then I have to confront him," she said firmly. Mayco gulped and looked down at the floor feeling frightened.  
  
" Halem?" she eventually asked. " But isn't he here? Isn't he that shadow?"  
  
" In a way, it is too complicated to explain, you have to see it for yourself Mayco!" she said and she started climbing in the boat. " Look I know I'm asking a lot of you, but this is the only way we can restore the natural balance between Aracaid and Heliad!"  
  
" But why is it only us three that can go? What is this thing that will allow us to go and no one else?" Mayco asked taking a few steps towards the boat. Leshia closed her eyes and breathed out slowly. " It's the evil isn't it?" Leshia opened her eyes again and nodded. " So you have it too?"  
  
" Yes, like I said, you, your father and me...we're, one of a kind," Leshia explained, struggling for words. " Mayco I can't say anymore, but I need your help in this, I can't do it alone!"  
  
" But isn't it Luke's sucky academy that's ruining the balance?" Mayco persisted, her voice rising with impatience.  
  
" Yes it is, but the way of the Jedi was always meant to change, it was prophesised. As was our journey and my task. Mayco this is all meant to happen, you are meant to help me!" Leshia said passionately. " And we have to hurry! They are going to destroy Aracaid! If we don't restore the natural order of things by returning those poor lost souls, then that's it, we may as well keel over and let Halem stomp on us!"  
  
" What's your task?" Mayco demanded. Leshia stared her down, and for a moment the two were locked in an icy gaze; their identical eyes blazing with fury.  
  
" Mayco that's between me and Halem! Now are you coming or not, because if you're not then I have to go get your dad," Leshia said. Mayco bit her lip for a while, but eventually she nodded and she marched over to the boat and climbed in. Leshia smiled gratefully and they set off in silence.  
  
After about an hour of rowing a huge object rose out of the mist. As they approached it Mayco saw it was a huge stone gate, with the doors cracked open. Scorch marks littered the magnificent monument. Leshia sighed sadly and brought the boat right up to the crack in the gate doors.  
  
" You sure you want to do this?" she asked Mayco. Mayco however, was lost in the darkness beyond the gate. What were those strange voices? Why did it look so good over there?  
  
" Yes," Mayco eventually replied and she pushed back the strange urges she was feeling to the back of her mind, reminding herself that the dark side was renowned for being a tempting son of a bitch.  
  
Leshia nodded and together they rowed their tiny boat through the magnificent befouled gate.  
  
" Hey what was the whole evil thing you let loose on the galaxy?" Mayco asked just as they passed through. Leshia cracked up.  
  
" Are you always this curious?" Leshia asked through her laughter. For several hours, Leshia's laughter echoes round the lake, but the pair were gone.  
  
* * *  
  
Going on holiday (FINALLY!!!), so no updating for a while! Thanks for reviewing guys. 


	12. To the end of the earth

Just to address some issues that 'John' pointed out - First of all, yes they are know it alls, they are kids and don't know any better, plus they have been around for quite some time, you'd think they might have grown somewhat wise over thousands of years, but hey. Secondly, that dialogue was from one of the children, are they supposed to talk like adults? And thirdly, I haven't given details as to why it is going wrong because a) the story isn't finished yet, everything is going to come in time, and b) the kids don't know much themselves yet and I'm writing this from their perspective - it's all about their journey! Thank you for your opinion 'John', but I really don't care if you read it or not.  
  
The New Way  
  
To the end of the earth  
  
" Something's happened, I can feel it," Tio hissed pressing her ear up to the wall. Padme and Shmi exchanged an anxious look, but stayed rooted to the sofa. " It's Mayco, something's happened to her!"  
  
" Is she alright?" Padme asked quickly.  
  
" Yeah it's weird, she's still alive and kicking, but...." Tio trailed off and frowned. " It's so strange, it's like she's somewhere else!"  
  
" You mean not at the retreat?" Shmi suggested kindly. Tio rolled her eyes and ignored the two women.  
  
" I have to get out of here!" she said firmly.  
  
" But Anakin has made it impossible for us to get out, he knows what you two are like, he'll have...." Padme began. Tio shrugged her shoulders and looked around for an obvious exit.  
  
" Well there has to be some way out of here!" she complained and as if by magic a door materialised on one of the walls. " See, I'll just go through this door!" she said cheerfully and she tugged at the handle. It remained firmly closed. " Except it's locked!" she grumbled. She took a few steps back and then charged at the door, slamming into it with her shoulder.  
  
She fell to the floor in a screaming heap.  
  
" Anakin!" she shouted furiously and she got to her feet as her dislocated shoulder quickly heeled. " Yeah here's a great idea, I'll just lock everyone I care about in a prison cell while I go out and get myself killed!"  
  
" Tio!" Shmi warned gently.  
  
" Well this sucks! Mayco gets to go gallivanting off around the world, and I'm stuck in here like some little kid!" she grumbled as she eyed the solid door suspiciously. She pulled out her lightsaber and stared determinedly at it. " If this doesn't work then...I don't know what!"  
  
She lifted her shining blade and moved it cautiously towards the door. Sparks flew as she stuck the blade through the door, but sure enough it cut through. She carved her way through and climbed out into the corridor. Sounds instantly hit her ears: awful shrieking moaning sounds. She turned to warn Shmi and Padme, but her hole had disappeared and she was faced with a blank wall.  
  
" Great," she muttered to herself and cautiously headed off down the corridor towards the giant window. As she reached it a horrific scene unravelled below her. Cloaked figures and horrible demonic creatures were attacking the army of Jedi that had gathered on the shore. There were no signs of Mayco, and even though Tio already knew that her best friend was very far away, it still saddened her not to see her. Half of her had been expecting...no hoping to find Mayco safe and sound fighting along side their friends.  
  
After a moment's hesitation Tio finally tore herself away from the battle and ran down to the garage. She found the door open and dust tracks leading away from the house. So she reluctantly climbed on her own swoop bike and set off.  
  
' When I find you Naberrie, I am going to kill you for leaving me behind!' Tio grumbled to herself as she reached the dirt road. She followed the force in what she hoped was Mayco's direction.  
  
* * *  
  
After hours of travelling Tio's swoop bike choked. She jumped off and gave it a satisfying kick. Then she carried on on foot. Moments later she tripped over something solid in the mist.  
  
" Damn it!" she cried and she leapt to her feet, pulling her lightsaber out, ready for anything. But nothing came and she looked to the ground and saw Mayco's dusty swoop bike lying in the moss. " May," Tio gasped and she grew more determined. Whatever had happened to her best friend, she was going to follow her to the end of the earth.  
  
After a long and slow walk through the mist Tio finally came to the eerie lakeshore. Her skin creeped as she walked over to the water's edge.  
  
" What the..." she mumbled seeing the blackness of the water and she leaned over and looked into the murky depth. Her eye was instantly caught by her grinning reflection. Tio gasped in shock, but was somehow drawn to those brightly shining red eyes and she took a step forward.  
  
" I wouldn't go in there if I were you," a man's voice said from behind her. Tio jumped and spun round baring her lightsaber.  
  
" Who are you?" she demanded, giving his cloaked figure the once over. The man took a step closer.  
  
" I am not a friend," he said coldly. Tio gulped and stumbled backwards, tantalisingly close to the water's edge. " Nor am I you enemy!"  
  
" Then what are you doing here?" she asked in a shaking tone. The man laughed a cruel laugh.  
  
" I came looking for someone," he said calmly. " Much like you are looking for someone now."  
  
" What do you know about it?" Tio demanded, now taking a few steps forward herself.  
  
" You seek a girl and a woman, am I correct?"  
  
" Just the girl!" Tio spat angrily. " See, you shouldn't be so cocky! Looks like you know very little!"  
  
" Fair enough, but this girl you seek, I assure you she is with a woman, for it is the woman that I am looking for," the man said calmly.  
  
" What woman?" Tio hesitated and looked back at the lake, her memory was stirring. " You can't mean...is she with Leshia?" The cloaked head merely nodded. " Well where did they go?"  
  
" Through the gate," the man replied. Tio swallowed firmly and held her head high.  
  
" What gate?" she demanded in what she hoped was a threatening tone.  
  
" Look behind you child," the man said and he pointed to the lake beyond her. Once again Tio turned to look at the lake. As she looked a massive object rose out of the mist, it was colossal, and indeed in the shape of a massive broken gate.  
  
" Well I'm going through there too!" Tio muttered and she looked around for a boat of a raft of some sort. The man laughed again. " What?" Tio hissed.  
  
" Are you sure you want to pass through to the realm of Heliad? Even with so many of her numbers now residing in Aracaid, it's still not a very pleasant place!" he said calmly. Tio shook her head.  
  
" I don't care! If May can handle it then so can I!" she insisted. Then she paused and looked at the man again. " Take me there!" She was expecting some sort of rebuke, but instead he nodded.  
  
" Very well, follow me child," he said and he led her across the shore. Tio felt a sense of foreboding when they reached a small boat and the man climbed in.  
  
" Wait," she said cautiously. " First you tell me your name and show your face!" Her heart began pounding as the man lifted his hand to his cloak and pulled it away to reveal a handsome face, with the largest blue eyes Tio had ever seen.  
  
" My name is Matte," he said calmly. " But you already knew that didn't you Tio!" 


	13. A mother's love

The New Way  
  
A mother's love  
  
" They're both gone?" Qui-Gon asked Yoda grimly. Yoda nodded in a subdued way as he looked out over the lake. The battle had left no bodies, as once slain they disappeared from sight, both good and evil now banished to Heliad. In fact, it was difficult to make out that there had been a battle, only someone who knew the beach well would be able to see it looked a little more dishevelled than normal. " Master Yoda, I hate to say it, but I'm scared for them."  
  
Yoda looked up at the tall man and indeed he saw fear in his good friend's face.  
  
" Prophesised their journey is Qui-Gon, but the outcome is not yet told," he eventually said.  
  
" I know, so we don't even know if they're going to make it," Qui-Gon said desperately. He instantly regained his composure and shook his head gravely. " Why couldn't you have told me of this prophecy before?"  
  
" Had to make sure that stop them you would not," Yoda replied softly. Qui- Gon shook his head out of frustration and started pacing.  
  
" We are going to have to tell Anakin and Padme everything Master Yoda! They're waiting for an explanation," he finally said stopping and facing Yoda expectantly. Yoda simply nodded.  
  
" Another part of the prophecy there is," he said and for the first time since the breaking open of the gate a look of sadness crossed his face.  
  
" Well what is it?" Qui-Gon demanded calmly feeling his panic subsiding. Yoda looked up at him solemnly and then looked up at the terrace where Padme and Shmi were watching them.  
* * *  
  
" Please sit down," Qui-Gon said calmly. The two women obliged, but Anakin and Obi-wan remained standing; Obi-wan standing calmly, arms folded, and Anakin pacing the floor edgily.  
  
" Now before I tell you this I have to ask you two to remain calm," Qui-Gon carried on giving Obi-wan and Anakin a pointed look. They both nodded with very different degrees of sincerity.  
  
" Where have they gone?" Obi-wan asked when Qui-Gon didn't continue. Qui- Gon breathed in deeply and hung his head slightly.  
  
" They have gone to Heliad," he finally replied.  
  
" Heliad? You let two children go to Heliad?" Anakin demanded angrily.  
  
" Anakin their journey was prophesised long ago," Qui-Gon said softly.  
  
" By who?" Obi-wan asked calmly.  
  
" The High Council apparently." An awkward silence ensued in which Padme rose to her feet and moved to stand beside Anakin. He visibly calmed down slightly, but he still looked furious.  
  
" But how did they get there?" Shmi finally asked. Everyone in the room turned to look at Qui-Gon curiously.  
  
" Yeah how did they get there?" Anakin repeated.  
  
" There is a gate," Qui-Gon said softly. " It is called the Heliad gate and it is found in the very centre of Lake Aracaid." If this was supposed to mean something to the small gathered group, it didn't. They still stared at him dumbstruck. " It is through this gate that those creatures broke through."  
  
" Well if you knew this would happen then why weren't we waiting at the gate?" Obi-wan asked.  
  
" Or at least someone could have been guarding it! Making sure it didn't break!" Anakin added.  
  
" There was someone watching the gate," Qui-Gon countered calmly. " Her name is Leshia and she is one of the most powerful Padawan ever."  
  
" You mean she's not even a Jedi?" Anakin demanded sounding close to losing it again. Padme placed her hand on his arm.  
  
" She was cut down in her prime, but I assure you she is more than capable of her task," Qui-Gon said fondly. " She was my first apprentice," he finally added.  
  
" She's the one that you lost?" Obi-wan gasped. " She's been here this whole time?" Qui-Gon nodded evenly.  
  
" Well she can't have been up to the task, because they broke through!" Anakin complained angrily. " So where is she now?"  
  
" She is with Mayco," Qui-Gon answered. Anakin's face went red and his hands clenched into fists.  
  
" She led," he began his voice trembling with rage. He shook his head irritably. " She led my daughter through to Heliad? And you knew this would happen?" he bellowed. Qui-Gon shook his head quickly.  
  
" I didn't know it would happen. Yoda only told me of the prophecy after we had beaten off the creatures and by then it was too late, they were long gone!" he explained.  
  
" And Tio?" Shmi asked, her voice trembling too, only from fear. " She followed her friend! Is she all alone in that horrible place?" Again Qui- Gon shook his head.  
  
" No she is not alone. All I can tell you is that she is with a man," he began. Obi-wan looked up angrily.  
  
" A man?" he asked protectively. Qui-Gon smiled slightly at this display of affection.  
  
" Yes a man," he repeated. " But...he is family." Everyone lapsed into silence again.  
  
" Well I'm going through there to get them!" Anakin finally said determinedly.  
  
" No you can't!"  
  
Everyone stared in surprise at Padme.  
  
" What?" Anakin asked his wife in a soft tone. She looked up at him pleadingly and grasped for his hand.  
  
" Ani, those things are still out there. The Sith are still out there! Didn't you hear Master Windu earlier, what we just had, he said that was nothing! There is so much more to come and you need to stay here and fight with the other Jedi, that is your duty!" she said passionately.  
  
" And what of my duty as a father?" he asked and his voice broke, showing how passionately he felt about this.  
  
" You have to stay here and protect our home," she said.  
  
" We will go and find the children." Shmi took her place next to Padme and once more silence fell over the frail group. 


	14. The tale of the Kudai

The New Way  
  
The tale of the Kudai  
  
As Mayco and Leshia passed through the gate the young girl felt a complete mix of emotions. Nothing made sense, and yet she felt an intense feeling of belonging. It frightened her that she felt just as at home in Heliad as she did in Aracaid, she could have so easily ended up in this evil place.  
  
Mist encircled the small boat, so none of their surroundings were yet visible to the two travellers. The only noticeable difference that Mayco had seen after passing through the gate was that the water was now white. It was so pure that a glow seemed to be emanating from it. Mayco instantly began to get curious about whether it had the same magical properties as Lake Aracaid.  
  
As if sensing her thoughts Leshia nodded.  
  
" Yes, lake Heliad is the exact opposite of Lake Aracaid. It is a seductive place Mayco; the water reflects what you'd love to see in yourself. It reflects all that is good in you, it lures you in. If you set foot in this water, you will be lost forever," she explained serenely.  
  
Mayco furrowed her brow and leaned over the side of the boat. For a moment she gasped as the beautiful image smile back at her.  
  
" But I don't understand, why does Lake Aracaid show you the bad parts if it's in the good world?" she asked, forcing herself to lean back into the boat, lest the temptation grew too strong.  
  
" Lake Aracaid is a warning, it warns us of what we have inside us, of what we have to fight, but also be aware of," Leshia replied.  
  
" And what happens if you step into that lake?"  
  
" You would also be lost forever, only this time to your conscience," Leshia said sighing. Mayco lulled into silence and looked morbid. The true weight of everything she was finding out was beginning to get slightly overwhelming and her longing for her best friend and family was growing stronger. She missed them so terribly much and seriously began to wonder if she would see them again.  
  
" Leshia?" she asked after a while. " Why is it that only half evil people can come here? I mean what would happen to people who were like, you know, Jedi?"  
  
Leshia looked away from the child as the boat appeared out of the mist into a strangely rugged desert-like landscape.  
  
" Because of them," she said soberly and she stopped rowing on the edge of the mist wall, peering out at the barren scenery. Mayco gulped and frowned.  
  
" The evil spirits?" Leshia shook her head and smiled sadly.  
  
" Because of the Kudai," she said softly. " The long lost warriors of pre- history. The ones who carried such a fundamental understanding of the force, that they were all-powerful. They weren't good and they weren't dark either, there was no separation in these early days. When their time came to an end, their spirits were transported here. They're ruthless, and had no place in the peaceful realm of Aracaid."  
  
" So they're here, but they're not dark or evil?" Mayco asked when Leshia lulled into silence.  
  
" Yes, but there's something..." Leshia began, but she paused and scrunched up her face in frustration. " It's difficult to explain."  
  
" So why do we need evil, what's it got to do with them?" Mayco asked helplessly, getting angry that she was so clueless. Leshia smiled a roguish smile.  
  
" Okay, I'm going to answer this question and then enough, that's all you've done since we got here!" she laughed. Mayco grinned sheepishly, but nodded all the same. " The Kudai can sense how well balanced we are, we're much like them...more like them than we are like the Jedi or the Sith. We have the fine balance that those two sides lack. So the Kudai will accept us and it is crucial that we get their help!"  
  
Mayco nodded feeling an intense feeling of pride wash over her. She felt intensely significant, knowing that she was a living fossil of the Force from times long gone by, but as she thought this another question started itching away at her mind.  
  
After several moments of squirming Leshia burst out laughing.  
  
" Okay fine go for it, what do you want to know?" she asked fondly.  
  
" What would happen if a normal Jedi came here?" Mayco asked soberly. Leshia lost her smile and looked away.  
  
" I dread to think," was all she said and she picked up her oars and started rowing again. Only now did Mayco notice the mist falling away and she suddenly spun round and looked out at the stunningly bright orange desert wasteland.  
  
" Wow," she gasped. " Hey how are we going to find these Kudai?"  
  
" I know where they dwell," Leshia replied.  
  
" But you've never been here!" Mayco countered in an accusing tone.  
  
" Not in my own person no, but I have been here before. Like I said, part of who I am is trapped in this forsaken place."  
  
With this the story telling was over, and the two rowed over to the edge of the lake in silence. Mayco could only sit and awe at the amazing scenery. She had never seen anything so strange as the contrast between the startlingly white lake and the bright orange desert rock and sand.  
  
Once the boat had hit the shore Leshia and Mayco carefully climbed out. Leshia headed straight up a small crest, but Mayco lingered staring back at the beautiful lake sulkily. She was annoyed that it was drawing her, because she considered herself stronger than that.  
  
" Mayco come and see," Leshia called to the child after several minutes. Mayco ripped her gaze away from the lake angrily and ran up to where Leshia was standing.  
  
" Oh wow," Mayco gasped and she blinked several times - not by shock, but by the huge glare that was bouncing off the white expanse that stretched away from them.  
  
" The salt flats of Orin," Leshia said knowingly. " Orin is this entire region, nothing but the sand dwellers live here. Trust me, we don't want to encounter them, not until we have the Kudai on side." Mayco gulped worriedly.  
  
" How are we going to get across?"  
  
" On foot," Leshia said brusquely. " Come on." The pair walked down the crest of orange sand and rock until they reached the edge of the crystal like salt flat.  
  
" I've never seen anything like this before in Aracaid. I did once when we went to Tatooine, but never back home!" Mayco announced as they stepped onto the flat and set off. Leshia was smiling.  
  
" They have this in Aracaid, you can't have travelled far," she said cheerfully. Mayco hid her surprise by looking around; she didn't want to seem even more naive. " And yes, I remember this from Tatooine too. That was my homeworld you know, much like your father and grandmother," Leshia added, but there was hidden sorrow in her tone. Indescribable sadness had washed over the young woman as she had mentioned Mayco's father and grandmother; it was so powerful that Mayco had sensed it. Instantly she realised there was much more to Leshia than she was letting on.  
  
" Bit of a dusty waste ground if you ask me," Mayco said cockily, remembering her visits to that place. " Naboo was so much nicer, see I'm half Nubian and half Tatooinian!" Leshia burst out laughing again; she seemed to do that a lot and it always made Mayco smile, that laughter expressed so much warmth and emotion.  
  
" Tatooinian, is that even a word?" she laughed. Mayco shrugged cheerfully. They walked on in silence till finally Leshia sighed deeply. " No I don't like that world either, too much pain, too much suffering."  
  
Mayco once again felt the sadness and didn't want to press the issue. So no more was said as the travellers walked on, leaving their home far behind them.  
  
* * *  
  
To be continued...not sure when, going back to uni tomorrow where I'm a poor sod with no internet, so might not be able to update for three months, but we'll see. If you guys are still enjoying it then I might be able to find a way to update. Either way, this is a good pausing point for a while. 


	15. Journey to beyond

A/N - The 'Old Language' is actually Dutch, I wanted to incorporate some sort of different language for the Kudai, but couldn't be bothered to come up with an entirely new one and as I'm fluent it was easy. So I'm sorry Holland for using your language and to any Dutch people, sorry for the spelling mistakes, it's been a while.  
  
The New Way  
  
Journey to beyond  
  
" I don't want you to go," Anakin said softly. He stared sadly at his wife's back. If Padme had heard him, she didn't reply. Her thoughts were focused on filling her pack with enough food to last them through anything that could happen on this journey. Of course they didn't know what to expect, but ever since Qui-Gon had told them about where the girls had gone, Padme had felt an indescribable anger wash over her. When she got her hands on this Leshia woman she was going to...  
  
" Padme please," Anakin begged helplessly. His tone brought tears to Padme's eyes and she turned round and saw fear in his handsome face.  
  
" Mayco is our little girl Ani," Padme said soothingly. " Knowing she's in danger, and in Heliad...it actually feels like a part of me is missing." Anakin closed his eyes and nodded.  
  
" I know, I feel that too, why won't you let me come with you?" he asked pleadingly. Padme smiled and shook her head.  
  
" Ani, what good would it do if we manage to get our daughter back, but have no home to bring her back to. Aracaid needs her hero and you are one of the most talented Jedi out here," she said snaking her hands under his arms into the small of his back. " Shmi and I are going to be fine." Anakin hung his head slightly and stared into her eyes longingly. He looked like he wanted to beg her to stay, but he settled for nodding dejectedly instead.  
  
" Just promise me, that if you get in to trouble, you get yourself out of there. When it comes down to it, you know that Mayco is more capable of defending herself in this world. She may have the common sense of a wookie, but when push comes to shove she can defend herself," he said gravely. Padme sighed and was about to object, but Anakin held his hand up quickly. " No seriously, she needs looking out for and hell yes somebody has to go get her and bring her little high and mighty butt back down to the ground, but if you find yourself in any danger I want you to get out as quick as you can!"  
  
Padme stared him in the eye stubbornly for a few moments, but finally nodded resignedly. Anakin sighed with relief and smiled.  
  
" Thank you," he said choking back emotion and he pulled his wife into a powerful embrace. " I love you so much!" Padme's eyes stung with tears and her nose prickled.  
  
" I love you," she whispered and buried her face in his chest, breathing in his familiar scent.  
  
" And when you get your hands on this Leshia woman, you give her hell from me," Anakin added smiling. Padme laughed out loud and nodded.  
  
" Oh you have no idea," she said smiling and she pulled away. They smiled into each others eyes for a moment and then Padme returned to her pack.  
  
* * *  
  
Against astronomical protest on Anakin's part, finally Padme and Shmi set out with only Qui-Gon guiding them to the gate. Anakin and Obi-wan had pleaded to go along, but as the lake's location was still kept a secret, they weren't allowed to see it. Qui-Gon had also told the women that he was afraid that if they were led to the gate then they might forget what they promised and follow the women in there.  
  
So the three set off in a speeder just after the sun had set. They journeyed on in silence. Shmi and Qui-Gon silently concentrating on their journey, but Padme was staring off into the distance feeling mournful. Anakin's tearful eyes still clear in her mind from their farewell. It had been heartbreaking to leave him behind and as they drew further away from their home, Padme swore she could feel her heart aching more.  
  
After hours of travelling they finally reached the end of the path they had been travelling on. Qui-Gon then led the women on foot through the smoggy forest till they hit the white sand of the lake beach. Padme gulped scaredly when she saw the infinite darkness of the lake, but at the same time her resolve strengthened tenfold.  
  
'Your little girl is out there' she thought to herself and a fresh wave of anger for this Leshia woman washed over her.  
  
" This is where I leave you, I'm afraid I can't..." Qui-Gon began gravely as he pointed a little way up shore to a small boat, but he suddenly stopped, because his eyes fell on three figures standing by the boat. They had the distinct silhouette of three warrior Jedi, and one was very child like.  
  
Qui-Gon grinded his teeth together for a moment before leading the women up the beach to where these mysterious warriors were waiting for them. Soon they got near enough to see that the two grown warriors were the leaders of the clan that had come to the retreat and that the child was indeed Da'hi, the girl that Mayco mercilessly beaten down.  
  
Qui-Gon bowed to the warriors out of respect. Shmi half copied him, but Padme just stared at the girl coldly - she had heard what had angered her daughter so much.  
  
" Master Qui-Gon, we wish to help restore order. We offer you Da'hi," the more superior warrior Jedi said unemotionally.  
  
" We don't need her help," Padme said sharply.  
  
" Do you know of the dangers that await you through that gate?" Da'hi cut in simply. Padme raised her chin defiantly.  
  
" No I do not, but this is our task and our task alone," she said. Da'hi shook her head, only this time her face showed resentment.  
  
" Unfortunately it is not. Master Yoda came to our clan moments after your departure and told us that he had seen three people entering through the gate," she explained.  
  
" Yoda saw you joining Shmi and Padme?" Qui-Gon asked sounding surprised. The three warrior Jedi nodded solemnly.  
  
" Believe me Qui-Gon, I do not wish to send my only daughter through to the realm of Heliad, but who are we to defy prophecy?" the other adult warrior said sounding for the first time slightly scared.  
  
" Of course you don't," Qui-Gon said nodding and he turned to Padme and Shmi. They instantly knew what he was thinking.  
  
" Do we have a choice?" Padme asked seriously. Qui-Gon shook his head. Padme sighed and nodded looking at the child.  
  
" Seems stupid to endanger the life of one child for another, but fine, come," she said and she pushed past the warriors and climbed into the boat. Shmi smiled at Qui-Gon in a resigned way and then followed Padme. Da'hi was the last to climb into the boat, but finally they were all in and they set off into the dark lake.  
  
" First you tell me one thing, when we find my daughter, you're not going to try and take revenge are you?" Padme asked the girl sitting opposite her. Da'hi smiled and shook her head.  
  
" I would like to, but no," she said coldly. " I at least have honour." Padme ignored this jibe at her daughter and looked forward to where the giant gate was rising out of the mist. She gulped away any fear and stared determinedly at it as they drew closer and closer to it.  
  
* * *  
  
Across the salt flats of Orin our two travellers suddenly stood still and looked at each other horrified. Each spun around and looked out over the giant white desert in the direction of the lake they had left long behind.  
  
" Tio," Mayco whispered and a happy feeling fluttered up and she smiled briefly, but as she turned to her guide she realised there was something horribly wrong. " What is it?"  
  
" Matte," Leshia whispered. Mayco gasped and took a step closer to Leshia and realised in horror that her best friend was with the origin of evil.  
  
" Why does he have my best friend?" Mayco asked, furiously glaring across the desert ready to pelt out towards the lake and rip Matte to pieces.  
  
" Calm down and clear your mind," Leshia ordered. It made Mayco stop still in surprise, because Leshia had suddenly seemed dangerously powerful. She shrunk away slightly and did as she was told, clearing her mind. " They've sense us already, but they can't know where we are, not yet!"  
  
" Why not? Let's kill him now!" Mayco hissed. " Before he gets Tio!"  
  
" He already has her, and he's not going to harm her, so calm down!" Leshia said coldly. Mayco looked away guiltily realising that Leshia had always loved Halem. " We can't do anything till we get to Arasaya."  
  
" What's Arasaya mean?" Mayco asked frowning worriedly.  
  
" It's a fortress, it's a symbol of what Heliad stands for. The lost souls of Aracaid are imprisoned there. Balance must be restored Mayco, we can't do anything till that happens. Don't you get it, that's why all this is happening." Leshia looked away quickly - she had said too much. Mayco picked up on this instantly and raised her eyebrows.  
  
" What?" Mayco asked curiously. " Balance?" She nodded her head to herself and pondered how much that word had plagued her life. Now it was happening again. " Okay, no questions after this, but this has nothing to do with Luke does it, that was all just a ruse!" Leshia shook her head.  
  
" Mostly that's true," she said sadly. Mayco nodded grimly and shook her head.  
  
" Okay, so now tell me, does this have anything to do with me?" she asked feeling slightly egocentric, but she had to know - that one word 'balance' normally meant it had something to do with her.  
  
Leshia smiled kindly at her.  
  
" For once little one, no," she said fondly. " Though it's to do with your family," she added quietly.  
  
" My dad?" Mayco asked quickly, panic filling her again. Leshia shook her head and looked away, silencing the conversation.  
  
" There is so much you are hiding from me," Mayco said eventually and she looked away too.  
  
* * *  
  
Tio looked up at Matte anxiously. His handsome face was contorted into smile that told her he couldn't be happier.  
  
" Did you sense them kid?" he asked her gleefully. Tio nodded solemnly. She had felt her best friend's presence the second they entered through the gate. She had also felt Mayco's anger, but then her emotions had drifted away. It seemed that Mayco and Leshia didn't want to be found, because their signatures had died away, and merely their presence was evident. They could have been anywhere.  
  
" How are we going to find them?" Tio asked. To her surprise Matte burst out laughing.  
  
" Could you sound any more terrified?" he laughed. " I already told you, I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
" So why are you helping me get to Mayco?" Tio asked stubbornly.  
  
" Because Mayco is a weakness. Leshia will run till the ends of the Earth to get away from me, but as you must have felt Mayco is very anxious to come play the hero," he said cheerfully, leading Tio up the crest Mayco and Leshia had scaled.  
  
" She doesn't play the hero!" Tio countered defensively.  
  
" Yes she does, I don't know how you put up with it," he said cheerfully.  
  
" How would you know, you don't even know us!" Tio complained grumpily staring down at her feet.  
  
" I hear stories," he said softly. " The same way that Leshia knows my world as well as her own, I know hers. We have a connection Tio. One that time and space cannot break."  
  
" Why is she running from you then?" Tio asked spitefully. Matte lost his smile and a terrifying look crossed his face. Tio instantly looked away and reminded herself that she was dealing with the first ever Sith.  
  
" That's right, remember your place Jedi," he spat. " I may not kill you, but don't for one second believe me to be your friend!"  
  
" No sir," Tio replied obediently. 'Wouldn't dream of it jackass' she added to herself. By now they had reached the top of the crest and they looked out over the salt flats. Tio's jaw dropped with the sheer vastness of the expanse.  
  
Matte however, was looking down at his feet; looking for traces that Mayco and Leshia had left behind, but the wind that swept these plains had wiped any away.  
  
" Oh well," he said softly to himself. " I know where to look anyway," he added and smiled broadly. " Feels good to be home! Come on kid, let's go!" Tio sighed deeply as she followed him over the crest wishing that she and Mayco were home again and that none of this had ever happened. It seemed unreal that only the day before there had been nothing to worry about and that they had been playing innocently with Anakin and Obi-wan. Oh how she wished she could go back in time and change things.  
  
* * *  
  
Hours later, after Tio and Matte had long cleared the lake a small object cleared the mist and hit the shore. Three passengers stepped out to be greeted by a terrifying sight.  
  
Da'hi turned to the women and gave them an urgent look, urging them not to speak before she stepped forward and bowed her head. She spoke in a soft tone in some foreign language to the clan of assorted men, all staring at the three guests with unreadable looks - one thing's for sure, they didn't seem welcoming.  
  
" Do you think we've made a mistake?" Shmi whispered to Padme scaredly. Padme gulped away her fear and shook her head firmly.  
  
" My daughter is out there Shmi, and we will find her!"  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin stared out at the grim morning and sighed deeply. His thoughts were so troubled that he didn't dare sleep in case he fell into the nightmares that were snaking around in his subconscious. Every now and then movement would catch his eye from across the lake and he would jump up in hope that his family was returning to him, but every single time it was just a trick of the light.  
  
" Why have you done this to me?" he whispered as he hung his head. Padme and Shmi had only been gone about twelve hours, but it felt like a lifetime. All around him Jedi were gathering, ready for the next wave of terror that was bound to wreak havoc over the lake.  
  
They all seemed excited. Anakin often turned to glare at them; they hadn't lost anyone! Maybe if his wife, daughter and mother weren't in danger then he might be excited by the prospect of a war, anything to get away from the mundane existence that was eternal bliss.  
  
But that wasn't the case, everything he had ever cared about was stuck in Heliad, the worst place imaginable.  
  
" Anakin there's something you need to see." The voice cut through Anakin's unhappy reverie like a knife. He quickly turned round to see Qui-Gon looking at him soberly. Anakin's thoughts instantly flew to Padme, what if something had happened to her and she had returned?  
  
" What is it?" Anakin demanded jumping up off the piece of driftwood that he had been sitting on for the last hour.  
  
" It's not the girls," Qui-Gon said calmly and he smiled when Anakin's face fell. " Have you not noticed that time has been speeding up again?" Anakin shook his head solemnly. " Well it has, quite remarkably...Anakin there's someone I would like you to meet." Anakin frowned curiously and nodded, following the old master up to the house.  
  
* * *  
  
Mayco stalked ahead angrily. She kept her eyes fixed on the steadily growing lush mountains that rose up ahead of her and tried to ignore the footsteps right behind her. She was furious that Leshia had forbidden her from going to rescue her best friend. So furious in fact that she hadn't spoken to her in five hours. The only contact that the pair had made was when Leshia had handed the young girl a flask of cool water and Mayco had gruffly nodded her thanks.  
  
They had been walking for what seemed like forever, but slowly the white expanse was changing and lush looking mountains actually turned out to be covered by rainforest.  
  
" It's too dangerous to go up there," Leshia said grimly, pulling up next to Mayco. Mayco gave Leshia a look that she hoped was more questioning than merciless. " All sorts of creatures and demons live in the forests, it's be great if we could miss them all together, but when we go round the Engelberg we eventually meet a pass called the path to Koros. It'll lead us closer to where we're going."  
  
Mayco stared at the young woman and raised her eyebrows.  
  
" Okay so what's an Engelberg and where the hell is Koros?" she demanded after a while, some of her anger beginning to ebb away.  
  
" The Engelberg, it's that mountain right ahead of us. It's the old language of the Kudai, they reigned here with the demons and creatures long before the Sith arrived. Everything here is from the old language," Leshia explained. " Engelberg directly translated means Angel Mountain." Leshia laughed bitterly. " They had no idea what this place was going to become."  
  
" So what's Koros?" Mayco asked curiously.  
  
" Koros is one of the largest settlements of the Sith," Leshia replied calmly. Mayco stopped walking and stared blankly at her guide.  
  
" And why are we going there?" she asked sounding scared. Leshia smiled and shook her head.  
  
" Don't you worry, we're not going there. We're going to Goudestad; it's the home of a dominant clan of Kudai. They will help us!" Leshia said calmly. " It lies near Koros, but not too close!"  
  
Mayco nodded and the two walked on in silence for a long time. They drew nearer the Engelberg and only now did Mayco sense dark and dangerous things lurking there. She felt like they were calling to her, so she quickly turned to Leshia to distract herself from it.  
  
" Hey why did you need to bring me?" she asked bitterly, still angry with the young woman. " I mean you seem to know everything by yourself!" Leshia lost her calm look and suddenly looked forlorn.  
  
" You'll see in time," she said grimly. Mayco sighed angrily and looked away.  
  
" I'm getting so tired of people hiding stuff from me! And why the hell are those things in the mountains calling to me, they're freaking me..."  
  
" Mayco only a very few can enter the Fortress of Arasaya," Leshia said quickly. " You have to be part of...you have to be his...oh it's too hard Mayco. I just can't tell you. You would never forgive me, I can't do it!" Leshia's voice broke and tears fell down her face. She turned away from Mayco and hid her face. Mayco felt uneasy by Leshia's outburst and faced the mountains again, wishing she were home with her parents.  
  
* * *  
  
" Wat doen julie hier?" the largest of the intimidating warriors bellowed to the three arrivals. Padme and Shmi watched Da'hi expectantly who started speaking very quickly in this strange language.  
  
" What are they saying?" Shmi whispered to Padme. Padme frowned in concentration and nodded to herself.  
  
" I think the big one wanted to know why we were here and now the girl is explaining it," she replied.  
  
" How do you know?" Shmi whispered sounding impressed.  
  
" It's similar to the ancient language of Naboo and a few other systems near us. I learnt it when I was younger!" Padme explained. The two women waited in a hushed silence as Da'hi spoke to the warriors, until finally they all visibly relaxed and some of the warriors even started laughing and approaching Da'hi to look at her more closely.  
  
" What's going on?" Padme asked the girl. Da'hi turned around and she was smiling too.  
  
" They're going to help us," she said proudly.  
  
" Why?" Shmi asked cautiously. Da'hi smiled and held out her tattooed arm. She pointed to an elaborate symbol.  
  
" Because I am one of their direct descendents," she said even more proudly, pointing to the head warrior's shield, which displayed the same symbol. " Come, we have a lot of distance to cover before nightfall!"  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin followed Qui-Gon all the way up to the kitchen and was told to go in ahead. He walked into the darkened room and instantly caught sight of someone standing in the corner, leaning against the work surfaces all hunched up.  
  
" Hello," Anakin said kindly, guessing this was a new arrival. The young man looked up quickly and nodded.  
  
" Hi," he stammered. Anakin walked closer and got a better look at the boy. He frowned and narrowed his eyes.  
  
" I know you from somewhere!" he said sounding confused. The young man shook his head.  
  
" I don't think so, I'm new here," he said quickly.  
  
" Well what's your name?" Anakin asked. The young man looked down to his hands, and then up again slowly.  
  
" Anakin," he said grimly. " Anakin Solo."  
  
* * *  
  
Mayco rolled over in her sleeping roll. She was uncomfortable on the hard ground. Too many nights of cushy luxury had wiped out her difficult and uncomfortable Temple years. So sleeping on the ground at the foot of the Engelberg was a step down from what she was used to.  
  
Somehow, amazingly she got to sleep, but she instantly realised something was wrong when she entered a dim room with a person in it, she instantly recognised him as her brother. Only he looked older. 'Time must be going quickly again', Mayco thought to herself.  
  
Luke looked calm, but Mayco could sense sadness in him. The second he saw her though, he instantly smiled.  
  
*Finally* he exclaimed. *I've been trying to reach you for years, I thought I'd never do this again!*  
  
*That must be because time is speeding up and I haven't really slept since you tried again* Mayco suggested. Luke nodded in a confused way that made Mayco smile. *Why are you sad?* Mayco asked suddenly. Luke closed his eyes and hung his head.  
  
*Because my nephew has died* he said gravely. Mayco looked up with interest. Her nephew, one of those Solo children was now in Aracaid with her family.  
  
*Sorry to hear that* she said. *It's not a great time for new arrivals either* Luke looked up quickly.  
  
*Why do you say that?* he demanded.  
  
*Well we're at war, with the dark dimension Heliad. It's where the Sith and all the evil things go. That's where I am now!* she explained. Luke's jaw dropped visibly. Mayco had to suppress a smile. *I know, it's pretty heavy going. There was a huge battle at the retreat, but I was taken away by this woman Leshia.*  
  
*Leshia?* he asked sounding as if he knew the name. *You're in contact with our...*  
  
" Rise and shine kid, it's time to get going," a voice cut in through Mayco's vision. Mayco jumped up quickly and stared at the young woman in surprise. Luke's last words whirring around in her brain, you're in contact with our...  
  
'Our what?' Mayco thought angrily. 'I knew she had something to do with my family, I just knew it!'  
  
" You okay Mayco? You're not still mad at me are you?" Leshia asked kindly. Mayco stared at her icily, but then shook her head.  
  
" No, not at all," she said simply and started to pack away her bedroll. " Not at all."  
  
* * * 


	16. The plight of the myriad

A/N - Starting to majorly stray from the Star Wars galaxy.turning a little Lord of the Rings-ish. Sorry about that, but I promise the ending is relevant and I'm just having fun elaborating till I get there.  
  
The New Way  
  
The plight of the myriad  
  
Anakin stared at the young man gravely, hiding his surprise. He knew that things had been bad in the world of the living for a long time, but he had no idea that anyone from his family was going to get hurt.  
  
" Who are you?" the young Anakin asked curiously. " And where am I?"  
  
" You're in Aracaid," Anakin replied softly, looking away from his grandson. The young Anakin gasped in surprise.  
  
" My uncle told me about this place! He said that he'd found his sister here, and that she talked to him," young Anakin exclaimed in a surprised way. " Is she here?"  
  
Anakin quickly shook his head and looked back at the young man.  
  
" She's away at the moment," he said sounding pained. At this young Anakin stared more closely at Anakin.  
  
" You seem familiar," he said after a while. " Who are you? Why didn't you answer my question?" Young Anakin started to sound angry so Anakin walked forward slightly and held up his hand in peace.  
  
" Calm down," he said in a soothing voice. " I'm sorry, you caught me off guard, there's been a lot going on right now. The last thing I expected right now was you!"  
  
" You know me?" young Anakin asked sounding cautious. Anakin nodded gravely.  
  
" I've watched you and your brother and sister grow up," he said smiling slightly. " You guys got yourselves into plenty of trouble. Guess that's a family trait."  
  
" Family?" young Anakin asked looking more and more nervous. " Are we related?" Anakin nodded.  
  
" I'm your grandfather," he said softly and he looked the young man directly in the eye. Young Anakin displayed no surprise.  
  
" I thought so," he said after a while. " So you're Darth Vader?" Anakin took a step backwards and looked slightly angry, but young Anakin didn't look ashamed, nor did he seem bitter.  
  
" Not anymore," Anakin said firmly. " And never again! That was a part of my past that I'll never make right, but it happened."  
  
" Okay," young Anakin said simply. Then he frowned looking a little confused. " But why do you look so young?"  
  
" You can look whatever age you want here," Anakin explained. Young Anakin nodded and looked around himself interestedly. Anakin was surprised that he didn't seem to care that he was dead.  
  
" So what's been going on here that's so tough? My uncle said that this was paradise."  
  
" We're at war," Anakin replied bitterly. " The realm of Heliad has broken through. That's where my daughter is, trying to put things right I guess. She always takes on too much to handle, but this is just ridiculous, she's...." Anakin paused and shook his head. " Sorry, I'm just worried because my wife and mother have just gone in after them!"  
  
" So all of them have gone to this place Heliad and you're still here?" young Anakin asked frowning.  
  
" Not by choice!" Anakin countered quickly. " No one would let me go, they said I have to protect Aracaid for when they come home."  
  
" Guess you're not so happy about that?" young Anakin asked. Anakin shook his head bitterly. The two fell into silence.  
  
" You know, I understand how you fell," young Anakin said softly. Anakin raised his chin and cocked his head to one side. " I came close once, but I guess you know that." Anakin nodded gravely.  
  
" Yeah, we were watching," he said, but then he smiled. " I'm happy you were stronger than I ever was." Young Anakin managed a proud smile at this. Then he clapped his hands together and walked towards his grandfather.  
  
" So, how do you do this ageing thing? I wanna be older!" Anakin laughed out loud and slung his arm around the young man's shoulders as they left the kitchen towards the garden.  
  
" It's a pretty complex procedure. You gotta know what you're doing, Mayco and her friend Tio tried it once, it was a disaster! You have to..."  
  
* * *  
  
" Where are they taking us?" Shmi asked Da'hi sounding urgent. Da'hi looked around at the two women and pointed over the horizon to a mountain. This seemed to be enough of an answer in her mind, and she turned back to her conversation with the Kudai troop leader.  
  
" Is that where Mayco is?" Padme asked sounding slightly annoyed. Da'hi merely nodded and continued to ignore the two women. Padme scowled at her and held Shmi back a few paces.  
  
" You seem uncharacteristically bitter," Shmi said sounding amused.  
  
" I just don't like that girl," Padme said sadly. " And I know I'm not being very diplomatic, but I can't help it. I guess living with you Skywalkers for so long has rubbed off on me," she added fondly. Shmi laughed out loud and nodded.  
  
" Don't worry Padme, we will find her," she said sounding more sober. Padme lost her smile and a worried frown crossed her face.  
  
" I hate the idea of my little girl being out there Shmi, if anything happened to her, I would never be able to face her. I failed her once before, never again!" she said vehemently. Shmi shook her head.  
  
" You still blame yourself for her death?" she asked. Padme nodded gloomily. " You never failed her darling, what happened to Mayco was always going to happen. You could not have saved her!" Shmi explained kindly. " Besides, we're not going to fail. I'm sure that most of the evil disgusting things from this dimension are too preoccupied with storming Aracaid to worry about us!"  
  
* * *  
  
" What are those things?" Tio asked and she shuddered as a wave of nausea washed over her. Standing right in front of her were the most disgusting things she had ever seen in her entire life.  
  
" Come now, you shouldn't be so cruel about my friends. I don't care much for the company that you keep, but you don't hear me complaining," Matte said cheerfully.  
  
" Yeah, but you don't see me forcing them on you do you?" Tio grumbled trying to shield the beasts' stench by hiding behind her guide. Matte laughed.  
  
" You know, you and your little friend could have so easily ended up in this place, perhaps she more so than you, but still, I would have enjoyed having you here. If there's one thing this place is missing it's a little character," he said grimly. Tio raised her eyebrows in surprise.  
  
" You actually think this place is the best don't you?" she asked incredulously. Matte nodded proudly. " You know, you're nothing like I expected you would be. You just don't seem evil enough," Tio suddenly said. Matte turned on her with a cold smile.  
  
" Hopefully I still have time to change your mind!" he said evilly. Tio gulped and quickly looked away. His bright-blue eyes had a certain power in them that was terrifying. They reminded her so much of her best friends eyes; it was so worrying.  
  
" These beasts are the Tavesters, they will lead us across their swamp to the foot of the mountain," Deacon explained. Tio gulped and stared up at the looming mountain. She could sense a lot of evil oozing off it.  
  
" We're going over the top?" she asked grimly.  
  
" The mountain path, it's much quicker than going for the Path to Koros, we will cut off my darling Leshia and that friend of yours before they get to where they are headed," he said in a tone that was dripping with conceit.  
  
" She won't be weak you know," Tio said feeling stupidly bold. She knew this might anger the Sith Lord, but she had to speak up and defend Mayco's honour. " She's stronger than you think. She'll see through your trap..."  
  
" Silence!"  
  
Tio gulped and stared up into Matte's furious face.  
  
" What have I told you child?" he demanded taking a step towards her. " Don't you dare forget who I am. You had better hope that that is not the case, because if I have no use for you then your time is up girl!" Tio nodded quickly and trembled slightly, wishing now more than ever that she could be home and safe. Her mind flew to a night a few years ago when the residents of the retreat and a few close friends had decided to take a trip for the Midsummer Festival. They had trekked for days until they found a perfectly idyllic lake. Here they lit a bonfire and sat around it all night, wrapped up in blankets and singing songs. Tio wished with all her heart that she could return to that night, but nothing happened. When she opened her eyes she was still in the dimension of the damned.  
  
* * *  
  
" We know where they are heading," Mace said in a booming tone. Everyone gathered by the massive table in the Golden Temple (the largest and most impressive Jedi temple of Aracaid where the high council met - a replica of the one from Coruscant) looked impressed at the large map of their region of Aracaid that lay sprawled on the table.  
  
" We believe that they are going to make for Harbourers Way. If they can take the Way then this temple is as good as taken and they have free reign of our dimension," Qui-Gon added.  
  
" I don't understand, surely there's not much they can do, they can't take over Aracaid can they? I mean what's the point of this war?" young Anakin whispered to his grandfather as the pair watched the proceedings from a good vantage point.  
  
" No they can't take over, but those who are lost in battle become captives of the Heliad dimension and all they can really hope for is to destroy as much of our world as possible before they are banished," Anakin replied grimly.  
  
" But what's the point in that?" young Anakin asked frowning.  
  
" No point, they're evil, they don't need a one!" Anakin answered bitterly and he ground his fists against the wall in anger. Back around the table the high council members were nodding to themselves.  
  
" Very well," Yoda eventually said firmly. " Defend the Way we must. The plight of the myriad, this has become!" Everyone agreed wholeheartedly and an uproar of agreement went round the table.  
  
Suddenly the atmosphere changed as a popping sound filled the room and a very bewildered cattle-like demon dropped onto the floor in the main hall. Everyone stared at it in wonder.  
  
" Our people journeying across Heliad must have made a kill," Mace said sounding amused. Several people restrained the demon and dragged it away. " The Golden Temple is to Aracaid as Arasaya is to Heliad. Maybe we should prepare for more arrivals?"  
  
" Unnecessary that is," Yoda said softly. " Gone there to kill they have not."  
  
* * *  
  
" That was pretty awesome!" Mayco cheered jubilantly as she bounced around Leshia. " Let me see that again, go kill another one!" Leshia smiled despite herself and shook her head.  
  
" No Mayco," she said fondly. " All the lives we take here send their spirits to Aracaid, do we wish to send more of these foul things to our home?" Mayco shook her head soberly and looked disappointed. Leshia laughed out loud. " Come on you, if we walk quickly, we'll reach the pass before nightfall. We want to get across it before we get caught out by the night!" Mayco nodded grimly and gave the herd of demons one last longing look before setting off after Leshia.  
  
The two walked on in silence, until finally they reached a rocky ravine carved through the mountainside.  
  
" This is the Path to Koros," Leshia said dramatically. Mayco looked down the pass and saw a smoky city looming beyond it.  
  
" You sure this is such a good idea?" she asked cautiously. Leshia nodded fervently.  
  
" See beyond the city, that rising column of smoke?" she asked pointing at the horizon. Mayco nodded nervously. " That is our destination. Arasaya, the fortress built by the dark lord himself."  
  
" How are we going to get there?" Mayco asked grimly as the two set off down the pass.  
  
" The Kudai will guide us," Leshia said confidently.  
  
" And if they don't?"  
  
" Oh they will! Keep close Mayco, this Pass is teeming with things we don't want to meet!" Mayco crept slightly closer to her guide as they walked on in the ever-waning sunlight.  
  
They walked for half-an hour before they sensed the first sign of trouble. It was coming up fast whatever it was.  
  
" Get to the side," Leshia hissed and the pair crept into the shadows of the ragged ravine walls. This wasn't enough though, because no sooner did they hear the telltale roar of Sith Speeder when the engine was cut and footsteps echoed through the canyon. Leshia pushed Mayco back and peaked around the corner of the fold they were hiding in. She quickly pulled back and gave Mayco a firm look.  
  
" You have to promise me that you won't get excited," she told the child firmly. Mayco nodded eagerly. " Do you remember Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon ever telling you the story of a certain Sith named Darth Maul?" Mayco's eyes went so wide Leshia was afraid they were about to pop out of her head. " Calm down, we have to be calm if we're going to beat him!"  
  
* * *  
  
" We need four main groups," Mace explained, pointing to coloured discs on the map. " The two large groups will cut off the two ends of the Way as soon as the Heliad spirits have entered it, the third will come in from the sky with an aerial strike. The fourth group will be waiting for their backup troops to arrive and then..."  
  
*POP*  
  
Everyone turned around in surprise.  
  
" Oh boy," Anakin suddenly said and he jumped up from the seat he had taken on the edge of the hall and pushed his grandson behind him.  
  
" Who is that?" young Anakin asked eagerly, craning his neck to look round Anakin.  
  
" Bad news!" Anakin grumbled and he pulled his lightsaber out in unison with the other Jedi present. Together the Jedi rounded the Sith together and several herded him in the direction of the door, but at the last minute Darth Maul threw of his captors and made a run for the window. Before anyone could stop him he had dove out of it and the last the gathered Jedi saw of him was his cloak as he disappeared into the forest.  
  
" Reconsider preparing for arrivals I have," Yoda said once everyone had calmed down, and those who knew him could see the old being was highly amused. 


	17. The great forest of the Goudestad

The New Way  
  
The great forest of the Goudestad  
  
The moon was already half way round the sky by the time that Leshia and Mayco emerged from the pass, bearing only minor scratches and bruises from their encounters inside. Koros stretched out in front of them as far as the eye could see, but to the right of it a lush rainforest stretched out.  
  
" That's where we're going," Leshia exclaimed following her charge's gaze.  
  
" I thought you said the rainforest was dangerous?" Mayco asked as she nervously cast a look behind herself. She had not enjoyed their journey through the pass and wasn't eager to jump right into a hive of demons again.  
  
" Not this one, this one is the land of the Kudai," Leshia said firmly. " For most that's even more dangerous than the demons, but not for us!"  
  
" Why not for us?" Mayco pressed taking a few steps closer to Leshia.  
  
" Because they will respect you," Leshia said softly. Mayco glared at her in a way that demanded more information. " It's because of your father, I can't say any more than that right now, so don't even ask me!"  
  
" My dad?" Mayco asked frowning, but she did as she was told and held her tongue. 'I hate it that she doesn't trust me,' she thought to herself dejectedly.  
  
" Come one, let's make it to the trees before we set up camp for tonight," Leshia ordered and the pair set off in the direction of the trees.  
  
* * *  
  
By nightfall, Tio had seen all the monsters and demons that she could cope with and more. They had walked all day without rest, passing through the various territories of monsters she could never even have imagined up. Suffering from physical exhaustion, the poor girl didn't think she could handle much more.  
  
Within what seemed like no time the two travellers had reached the end of the mountain passage and found themselves on the edge of a small cliff looking down on the expanse that was Koros. Two small objects were moving along the base of the cliff at a steady pace. Tio instantly sensed her best friend's Force Signature down below and she ached to be there with her.  
  
" Don't even think it," Matte murmured and he leaned over to get a better look at the people below. " Come on sweetheart, take the bait," he whispered coarsely. Tio stared at him in surprise, was he talking about Mayco in such affectionate terms? He had always been so cruel about her. " Look, I have your little friend!"  
  
Tio shuffled a little away from her captor and focused all her attention on reaching her friend without Matte noticing.  
  
*Don't fall for it May, get out of here, don't worry about me!* she thought, trembling out of exhaustion.  
  
* * *  
  
Mayco stopped walking and swayed uncertainly on the spot. After a moment she carried on walking, but soon she stopped again.  
  
" Mayco come on, we have a lot of ground to cover!" Leshia called from up ahead. Her voice was noticeably strained. Mayco frowned deeply at the woman's back.  
  
" No, what is it this time? I can feel it too!" she complained. Leshia spun around and Mayco could see fear and pain in all of the beautiful woman's features. " What?"  
  
*Look up* Mayco jumped...that voice? It sent chills through her spine and instinctively she looked up. Far above she saw two human-shaped objects illuminated by the moonlight.  
  
" Mayco come on, let's go," Leshia ordered forcefully, her voice conveying only a mere fraction of the terror she was feeling.  
  
*I have her sweetheart, I have her* Realisation hit Mayco like a ton of bricks and she instantly threw herself at the cliff, starting to climb up it with all the power she could muster.  
  
" No! Don't you dare, it's a trap!" Leshia shouted at the child and she lunged after her and pulled her screaming and kicking off the rocks.  
  
" Let me go! That's Tio up there! I have to go save her," Mayco cried angrily and she scratched at Leshia's face in an attempt to break free, but Leshia had more resolve than it seemed and she held on as if she were never going to let go.  
  
*She's going to get hurt darling*  
  
" LET ME GO!" Mayco shrieked wildly and she curled herself up tight and focused hard on collecting all her power, then in a blinding flash it was as if the little girl had exploded. Leshia was sent hurtling backwards and out of the mist Mayco emerged, climbing up the rocks again.  
  
* * *  
  
Anakin leapt up in bed panting. He threw off his duvet wildly and ran to his balcony. He looked out across the moonlit lake and saw something strange travelling across it at lightning speed. He knew what that was, the remnants of a Force wave, and he knew who exactly who had performed it.  
  
" Mayco," he whispered as he hung his head and let the force wave wash over him. It conveyed fear, anger and an overwhelming pain. " What's happening to you?" he cried and he fell to his knees wishing for answers.  
  
*Be safe my little girl, please stay safe! For me!*  
  
* * *  
  
Mayco was half way up the small cliff, following Matte's call like a beacon. She was out of control, gripped by an incredible need to get to her best friend. Leshia's calls from below were drowned out by a terrible wailing on the wind.  
  
*Mayco turn back, don't worry about me. It's a trap! Stay with Leshia, do what you came here to do!*  
  
Mayco stopped climbing and looked up into the blackness. She could no longer see her targets, but knew they were still there.  
  
*Tio I can't...* she cried and she rested her head on the rock, exhausted through to the core. *I can't leave you!*  
  
*Yes you can, you have to! If you come up here you'll be in danger! Go back, go to Leshia, she needs you for some reason or else she wouldn't have taken you! I'm sorry I came after you, I'm sorry!*  
  
*But I did it once before! When we died! I couldn't save you then, now I can! I'm not going to leave you to him, I'm not!* With this she started climbing again, but it was as if she was getting heavier, something was pulling her down, making her every move feel impossibly heavy. She looked down to the ground and saw Leshia with her hand out, using the Force to pull her to the ground.  
  
" Stop it!" Mayco yelled furiously.  
  
" Don't be an idiot Mayco! This is not the way!" Leshia called back, sounding equally as angry.  
  
*Please stay safe! For me!* This time Mayco stood frozen to the spot with the awful foul wind billowing around her, threatening to pull the little girl clean off the rock face.  
  
" Daddy," Mayco whispered and her heart ached for that comforting presence once more, but it never came. " Stay safe," she repeated to herself. " But Tio..."  
  
*Mayco go damn you!* Mayco's eyes flew up to the cliff top and tears dropped from her tired eyes.  
  
" I'm sorry," she whispered and she let go of the cliff. She started dropping slowly, Leshia still had her in her hold. Her feet touched the ground as if she had floated down to the ground.  
  
* * *  
  
" You fool!" Matte hissed and power radiated off him. Tio stumbled backwards, falling backwards onto the ground in an attempt to get away from this monster. No kindness showed in that face anymore. All that could be seen was an unspeakable anger, one that seemed magnified in every aspect of his face.  
  
" I told you!" she yelled, wondering where this foolish bravery was coming from. Matte paused in surprise at this outburst of courage. " I told you she was not an idiot! She's better than you think you disgusting beast!" With this she got to her feet and faced him, ready for anything.  
  
" So be it, you stupid girl," he muttered and he strode over to her in seconds. What happened next seemed lightly surreal to Tio. Matte grabbed hold of her and lifted her clean off her feet and carried her over to the edge.  
  
* * *  
  
" What's he doing?" Mayco cried as she saw Matte lift her friend into the air. " Oh God he's going to..." But it was too late, up above Matte had let go of his hostage and Tio was dropping through the air. " No!" Mayco screamed and once more she erupted with a wave of pain and anger.  
  
She couldn't watch the rest and threw herself to the ground to shield herself from the pain of having to see Tio hit the ground, but the impact never came, and after several minutes she looked up and saw no body.  
  
" Where did she go?" she asked Leshia.  
  
" She has gone to Arasaya," Leshia replied coldly, watching her lover on top of the cliff. " Run Mayco, just run!" But Mayco didn't hear her, she was too relieved knowing her friend wasn't dead to listen to Leshia anymore. One thing she couldn't ignore though was being grabbed roughly round the neck and pushed in the direction of the trees. " Run you fool, he's coming!" This Mayco heard and she looked up to see that Matte was descending from the cliff top.  
  
The two girls broke into a sprint heading for the protection of the trees. Even with their Jedi abilities, it still seemed like forever before they reached them. Only once the pair had reached the first tree did Mayco dare look behind them. Matte had stopped moving a while back.  
  
" Why won't he come here?" Mayco spluttered as she leant against the nearest tree.  
  
" He's not allowed. This is a sacred Kudai stronghold where none but the Kudai may go. They do respect Halem, some clans even worship him, but they do not wish for him to enter their lands," Leshia explained as she dropped her pack to the ground and started laying out their camp.  
  
" Well then why are we here?" Mayco asked worriedly.  
  
" Because we need their help," Leshia said in a manner that meant the matter was closed. Mayco sighed angrily and rolled out her bedroll.  
  
" I have to say that right now, I don't like you very much," she said in a cold voice before she lay down and covered herself completely with her blanket. Leshia smiled at the child's form and then lay down in her own bedroll. She looked up at the canopy above as sleep began to take hold of her consciousness, and right before her eyes succumbed to her slumber she could have sworn she saw several people watching her from high above. 


	18. Arasaya: The fortress of the damned

A/N Supershort chapter, just wanted to get posting with this again, will update properly in a few days!  
  
The New Way  
  
Arasaya: the fortress to the damned  
  
Tio opened her eyes to a crack. She realised something strange had happened when the rushing wind had ceased and voices had filled her ears. She realised that she wasn't dead.........again, because that was impossible. She had hoped that she would be transported back to Aracaid, but from what she could see through the slit in her eyelids, that wasn't the case. When she realised that the people around her were Jedi (looking rather worse for wear) she opened her eyes fully to see where she was.  
  
"Have they started battle again?" the nearest one asked her and he looked desperate. Tio shook her head quickly.  
  
"Well then how did you end up in this doomed place little one?" a nearby female Jedi asked. She too had that desperate look about her.  
  
"I was killed on this side," Tio replied, guessing she was still in Heliad. A murmur rose as what she had said was passed all around the dim dungeon.  
  
"This side?" the man who had first spoken gasped and a nervous smile crossed his face. "Does that mean that they've sent a rescue mission?" Tio gave a nervous laugh and nodded.  
  
"Yes, kinda," she said and in response cheer went round the room. The woman grabbed Tio's hands and shook them.  
  
"Thank you so much!" she said in a shaky voice, but tears sparkled in her eyes. Tio nodded timidly and pulled away. Why were all these people acting crazy? Is that what this place did to you if you stayed too long?  
  
*May get your ass over here!* she thought heavily and found herself a spot next to a wall so she could lean back. *Seriously, get your ass over here* 


	19. Pathways

The New Way  
  
Pathways  
  
Shmi looked to Padme urgently as they came to another halt. Her daughter-in- law was looking just as suspicious as she was feeling. They had by now reached the Engelberg and were slowly making their way round down the path of Koros, but the Kudai seemed to be taking their time and Da'hi did not prompt them.  
  
"They don't seem to care that the children might be suffering," Shmi complained as they sat away from where Da'hi was speaking to them in that strange language.  
  
"They don't seem to care about anything to do with us," Padme sighed and she took a well-earned gulp of water. "I don't trust them Shmi, they're not telling us anything and I hate it!"  
  
"I'm beginning to think that maybe you were right about this Da'hi girl," Shmi said sadly and the pair exchanged a miserable look.  
  
"We should just go off on our own," Padme suddenly said, and even she wasn't sure if she was serious or not. Shmi however, stopped and turned slowly to look at the young woman. Padme smiled wryly. "I'm not serious," she chuckled, but Shmi was looking determined.  
  
"Maybe we should," she eventually said looking back to where the group were now telling Da'hi some funny story, because they were all in fits of laughter. "I know it would be hard, but I can't stand the thought of not knowing if the girls are safe." Padme bit her lip anxiously and thought it over.  
  
"Well I suppose we know where we're going, they said we were going to follow this path and then we would almost be there. How hard can it be?" she pondered, but suddenly Da'hi walked over to them and she shut her mouth lest the little brat read her mind and their plans.  
  
"We are camping here tonight," Da'hi informed them briskly.  
  
"Again?" Padme demanded and she couldn't mask her disbelief. " But we've barely walked at all since we last camped, surely we can carry on a little more?" She received no response and as Da'hi stalked away Padme narrowed her eyes so ferociously she could barely see out of them. " That is it Shmi, when those...idiots go to sleep, we are running!" Shmi smiled worriedly, but the resolve was clear on her face; no matter how afraid she felt she would never leave Mayco and Tio to their fate.  
  
X X X  
  
Mayco woke up after only a few hours sleep. It was almost as if she had too many thoughts whirring round her mind, because even her dreams were becoming infected with strange ideas. She sat up gingerly and saw that Leshia was tending the fire. She glared at the woman and stalked over in search of the warmth.  
  
"Baby," Leshia muttered playfully. Mayco's head popped up and she stared at the woman in disbelief. Had she just heard her right? Leshia saw. " Yes that's right, I called you a baby!" And then to add insult to injury she stuck her tongue out. Mayco scrunched up her face angrily and poked at the fire with a long stick.  
  
"At least I'm not a loser," she grumbled. Leshia chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Rather a loser than a baby," she said light heartedly and she threw a piece of bread over the fire to her young charge. Mayco started to chew on it gingerly; it tasted like cardboard.  
  
"So where is this Goudestad whatever that you keep talking about?" she asked and she grimaced dramatically after she had managed to swallow a mouthful without retching it back up again.  
  
"It's close," Leshia replied airily and she smiled fondly at the girl. " Don't worry, it'll all be over soon." Mayco narrowed her eyes at the young woman sensing once more that there was something very profound going on here that she just couldn't put her finger on.  
  
"Well that's good, I couldn't stand to be around your sorry-ass anymore," she said cheerfully. Leshia burst out laughing.  
  
"I'm not the one sulking," she laughed and then because she couldn't resist, she added, "Baby!" Mayco finally cracked a smile and she hung her head.  
  
"There's been something I meant to ask you," she said softly. Leshia pulled a face of mock-surprise.  
  
"You? Ask me a question? Now that is a surprise!" she gasped. Mayco rolled her eyes and nodded.  
  
"Well you certainly found your sense of humour this morning. What happened, someone come beat you with the funny stick while I was sleeping?" she asked curiously. Leshia grinned and shrugged.  
  
"Continue."  
  
"Well, everyone back home seems to think that all this has something to do with my brother's new way of setting up the Jedi academy and the council and all that, but it really has nothing to do with that does it?" Mayco asked. Leshia's face fell and she shrugged.  
  
"No not really, but no one 'back home' knows about me Mayco. There was something, and I don't really know what it was, but something that happened when Luke stumbled across something in the Ilum grotto. He awoke in there some sort of creature that had long been forgotten about," Leshia explained. "It obviously belonged here in Heliad, but had somehow managed to survive for thousands of years in the grotto. Seeing as this is all the high council had to go on, they assumed he had somehow caused some form of imbalance between the worlds...or something like that." She trailed off and Mayco raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Right, well that was vague, thank you," she said pointedly, but her eyes were smiling.  
  
"Well how should I know, I wasn't there?" Leshia laughed and she tended the fire once more.  
  
"Maybe that's what killed those two little girls," Mayco whispered to herself and she sighed. "Poor kids..."  
  
"You say something?" she asked. Mayco shook her head and shuffled closer to her companion.  
  
"This wood is pretty freaky, I think I keep seeing eyes moving or something," she whispered. Leshia smiled broadly and leaned close to the girl.  
  
"That's because we're being watched," she replied. " As we speak, there are probably a dozen arrows trained at us, so don't make any sudden movements!" Mayco jerked backwards and looked around desperately. Leshia chuckled wryly. "Now what did I just say..." The two lapsed into silence as Mayco looked around for signs of spies and Leshia became engrossed in tending the ever-shrinking fire.  
  
"Actually there was something I wanted to ask you about," Leshia suddenly said, starting her young companion. Mayco quickly regained her composure.  
  
"Go on," she said eventually. Leshia smiled fondly at her and looked into the fire again.  
  
"Did you know that the being you have been communicating with these last few months in your meditations was Halem?" Judging by the fact that Mayco's jaw just dropped as far as it would go Leshia took this as a no and carried on. "He manipulates everyone Mayco, I wouldn't worry yourself about it, but what exactly were you trying to achieve?"  
  
"I...uh...." Mayco was still in shock and it took her a few minutes to overcome it. "Well I thought that he was helping me become a knight, which I know is all impossible in the spirit world and everything blah blah blah, but that's what he said he was doing. I don't know, I didn't really think about who he was."  
  
"Did you not know that that is exactly what he was doing?" Leshia asked and she looked into a mirror image of her own eyes. Mayco looked slightly dismayed, but eventually she nodded.  
  
"I had an inkling," she said meekly. Leshia grinned.  
  
"Oh an inkling," she chuckled. "Well miss Jedi Knight, your father really ought to teach you something about talking to strangers!" There it was again, that strange emotion that Leshia was masking so well from her little friend.  
  
"There's something between you and my dad and by my honour I swear to you I am going to find out what it is!" Mayco said placing her hand on her heart. The last thing she expected was for Leshia to burst out laughing.  
  
"On your honour it is then little friend," she said cheerfully, but Mayco easily sensed the hidden sadness that her companion was bearing. She was about to press the issue when all around them the bushes started moving. " Come, I think it is time," Leshia instructed and she climbed to her feet. Mayco copied feeling intensely excited about meeting these Kudai people, but when ten fierce warriors stepped out of the bushes she quickly reconsidered.  
  
'Oh boy,' she thought to herself and wished more than ever that she was safely home tucked up in the conservatory listening to her father tell her a tale of adventure.  
  
X X X  
  
Anakin stared out over the gathering that stood on the beach. He had never seen such a large Jedi army, it stretched into what he believed was miles. Sighing he pulled on his cloak and his eyes fell on Padme's mantle, which hung next to his on the rack. Her suppressed the shudder that was threatening to overcome him and he stalked out of the room, ignoring the foreboding feeling that was growing in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"They're fine, they're okay, nothing's going to happen to them," he told himself firmly.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" young Anakin's voice suddenly came from behind him. Anakin spun around and found his grandson had been following him.  
  
"Oh just myself," he said light-heartedly.  
  
"Are you worried about the battle?" young Anakin asked as he fell into step beside his grandfather.  
  
"No, I'm excited about the battle," Anakin replied. "I'm worried about my idiot-child and my wife," he added sighing. Young Anakin chuckled.  
  
"Is my aunt really as bad as you make her out to be, or are you just worried?" he asked curiously, quite eager to meet this Mayco girl.  
  
"Oh no, she's worse! She's the kind of person that does first and if we're lucky, thinks afterwards. Most of the time, the thinking part doesn't even enter the equation," Anakin explained, but he could not keep the fondness out of his tone. "She's quite something, but when I get my hands on her I'm going to flay her alive!" Young Anakin laughed out loud and nodded.  
  
"She sounds pretty cool for an aunt," he said. Anakin gave the young man a sidelong glance.  
  
"You do know she's like eight right?" he asked curiously. Young Anakin shrugged. "All right, just checking." With this they appeared out on the terrace and found Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon standing by preparing to lead out their companies.  
  
"What a glorious day for a battle," Obi-Wan said cheerfully. Anakin raised his eyebrows at his former master in a mocking way, but if the older Jedi had noticed it, he said nothing of it.  
  
"Well any day is okay for an ass-kicking," Anakin said and he sat down to look out over the lake.  
  
"Get out the wrong side of bed this morning did you?" Obi-Wan asked fondly.  
  
"Not ours! Theirs!" Anakin complained pointedly. "Oh you have no idea how much hell I am going to reek on their sorry..."  
  
"Come on, there's Master Windu's signal, time to get going," Qui-Gon said seeing three flashes on the horizon. He turned to his friends and clapped hands with them. "May the Force be with you!"  
  
X X X  
  
Mayco could not hide the awe on her face as they entered the clearing where the settlement of the Kudai lay. Before her lay an image all in gold, as though it were a huge gleaming jewel in the sun. High turrets reached into the sky and large domes looked like hundreds of little sunsets. Mayco was too amazed to speak and allowed herself to be guided helplessly to the grand hall. Upon entering she was broken to the knee and she winced when she fell hard. Leshia glared at the guard who had pushed her and gave the child a comforting nudge.  
  
"Don't worry, he will pay for that!" she hissed angrily and she turned on the chief of the Kudai. He was a strong looking man, decked in so much gold that he nearly merged into his beautifully decorated hall. " My lord," Leshia addressed him and she bowed down low. Mayco quickly followed suit in order to avoid the guard's heavy staff again. From here on Leshia began to talk in a strange language that Mayco could only assume was the old language that she had been told about. She tried desperately to understand what her companion was saying, as the Kudai started looking at the child in awe.  
  
'What did she just tell them?' she grumbled and she gave Leshia a glare that went unnoticed. By the end of it Mayco was lifted to her feet and all the Kudai save the chief bowed down low to her. She gave Leshia and uneasy look, but the woman was beaming at her proudly.  
  
"Very well," the chief said in stunted English. "We of course shall grant your wish and I personally will guide you to Arasaya." Mayco smiled broadly at Leshia and thanked the chief. Finally! Something was going her way!  
  
X X X  
  
Padme and Shmi had been walking for hours. Many times they had been scared out of their wits as something moved in the shadows, but on the whole they were feeling quite proud of themselves as they reappeared on the other side of the Path of Koros. They stared out at the bleak city in dismay.  
  
"They did not go in there," Padme said firmly. " They would not!" She looked around until her eyes fell on the rainforest. "That looks more like the home of those slow-coaches that have guiding us," she exclaimed pointing in the direction of the lush forest. Shmi nodded in agreement and the women traced the path that Leshia and Mayco had covered not so long ago.  
  
In the distance someone climbed to their feet and wiped the dust of their trousers, before cheerfully setting off in the direction of the women, a smile plastered broadly on his handsome face.  
  
X X X  
  
More to come soon, sorry it has taken me SO long to update properly! Anyway, please review, makes me feel like this is worthwhile. 


End file.
